


The Last Son of Zona Temporis

by Sam_Manson_Repilica



Category: Danny Phantom
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Eventual Romance, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2020-06-28
Packaged: 2020-11-27 23:01:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,657
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20956349
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sam_Manson_Repilica/pseuds/Sam_Manson_Repilica
Summary: Danny Fenton is your average farm boy from a small town...except he is anything but. He is the last son of Zona Temporis or the time zone. A dead world of which he is the sole survivor. He is not of the earth, yet not of the stars all alone. That is until he begins working at the New York Times alongside hot-headed reporter Sam Manson and rookie photographer Tucker Foley.





	1. Things Change

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: if you read the description, it's obvious this is based on superman. Now when I say this, I don't mean this is based on any particular movie comic or show. What I mean is that the basis of it is based on superman, not the plots. The plots are mine.
> 
> Also, I'm sure you're wondering what will be Danny's kryptonite. Well, it will be the blood blossoms. If you don't remember, they are these flower petals that can kill Danny when he touches them. They are from the episode infinite realms.
> 
> Also, Tuck is going to be younger then Danny and Sam they are 25 and Tuck is 18
> 
> This takes place in 2004, for a reason, and you will understand once I introduce Tucker.
> 
> For those of you who have read the first draft of this chapter, I updated it.
> 
> So, this is who's who:
> 
> Clark Kent /Kal-El/Superman: Danny Fenton/ Phantom Tempus/ Danny Phantom
> 
> Lois Lane: Sam Manson
> 
> Jimmy Olsen: Tucker Foley
> 
> Perry White: Petey Walcott (my OC)
> 
> Martha Kent: Maddie Fenton
> 
> Johnathan Kent: Jack Fenton
> 
> Lex Luthor: Vlad Masters/ Vlad Plasmius
> 
> Jor-El: Clockwork Tempus
> 
> Lara-El: Elisabeth Tempus (Elisabeth my OC)
> 
> Mercy Graves: Crystal Winchester (my OC)
> 
> Supergirl/Kara Kent/ Kara Zor-El: Dani Fenton/ Dani Phantom
> 
> Lana Lang: Valerie Grey
> 
> General Zod: Pariah Dark
> 
> Just in case I use them:
> 
> Joker: Freakshow
> 
> Harley Quinn: Lydia
> 
> Bruce Wayne/ Batman: Ethan long/black jaguar (My OC)
> 
> Alright, shall we get this party started, yes okay?

Chapter One: Things Change

"Here's to the crazy ones. The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. The round pegs in the square holes. The ones who see things differently. They're not fond of rules. And they have no respect for the status quo. You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify or vilify them. About the only thing you can't do is ignore them. Because they change things. They push the human race forward. And while some may see them as the crazy ones, we see genius. Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world, are the ones who do."  
― Rob Siltanen

Over looker's pov

A young man of the age of 25, landed from flying at a lone house on a farm in the small backwater town of amity park Ohio. The man had snow-white hair and glowing green eyes, he was not human, and in this form, it showed.

He was clad in a skin-tight, black suit with grayish-white boots, and grayish-white gloves and collar, in the middle of his nice but not at all bulky chest, was some sort of odd, "D" that was obviously not of earth.

It was a "D" nonetheless. Upon landing, the boy phased into the small, house and as soon as he was inside, he willed a flash of light to surround his body, and when it died down there stood, a human boy, or so it appeared.

This boy had the same lanky, but nicely built from, but instead of snow-white hair and glowing green eyes, this man's eyes were a bright and vibrant blue as clear and crystal has the daytime sky, and his hair was as black as night. His skin, in contrast, was a lovely pale color, not to pale, however almost bordering on slightly tanned.

The ghost boy or rather ghost man now didn't even bother to open the door; he simply phased right through it entering the house. His tired eyes took in his once-familiar surroundings, he was home again.

The house was everything you would expect. It wasn't super large. Most of the land was the farm. When you walked in right away, you were in the kitchen. The walls were painted a light yellow. There was a big window with baby blue 50's style curtains on the wall and a matching baby blue 50's style dining room table with 4 chairs covered in plastic.

The house smelled of sweet apple pie. The man could tell the old-fashioned oven was on. A light smile passed his lips. He took a moment to relish in how good it felt to be home.

The man had a nicely sculpted jaw and a lovely face with a light boyish charm about his features. He was clad in nothing more than, torn and tattered blue jeans, and a ripped up white shirt. With a red oval in the center, sighing, the boy sat down in a chair at the elegant and pristine dining table, in the humble little house. Propping his elbows on the table, the boy put his head in-between his hands, only to rub his temples in annoyance. Finally, the boy had a moment of peace, if only a moment.

He had some big news to tell his family, after a little while away, and no matter how light you put it, this type of news was never easy to deliver.

"little brother your home" came an excited shrill has the boy's older sister, came rushing down the stairs in childish glee, her fiery red-orange hair trailing behind her, running up to him the girl damn near crushed him with a hug.

Reluctantly the boy hugged, back only to grit his teeth to keep from groaning in pain. This didn't make the news; he had to tell them any more comfortable. He couldn't even look his sister in her vibrant teal green eyes. He was in physical pain from a recent flight, and it was evident after jazz released him from the hug his muscles ached though his bruises and cuts were already starting to heal due to his advanced healing. He wasn't invulnerable, but he was pretty damn close. His face contorted in pain, he thanked whatever deity that within a matter of hours, he'd feel no pain at all.

A worried look crossed her features, as the girl took the nearest seat to him. "long time no see, what was it this time, drug smuggling, talking prostitutes into an honest life, or just avoiding your family" the girl said a bit bitter, she didn't mean any harm by it, she just felt incomplete without her little brother. She loved him so much despite his always gallivanting off.

Rolling his eyes, the boy placed a smirk on his lips, "actually, I stopped Technes from getting, the most powerful computer in the world," the boy said, looking at his sister. It had been quite a brutal fight, but the boy was used to it by now he had been doing this since his powers began developing at the ripe age of 14.

Though Danny was more used to it than he should be, jazz and his parents might never be.

"look Danny I'm proud of you, I am I just I'm afraid one slip up. one trust to the wrong person and your government property, once the guys in white, find out you exist they'll stop at nothing to find a way to hurt you, I couldn't live with that Danny."

That was her biggest fear.

The girl said, looking down, the boy placed a comforting hand, on her hand,

"listen jazz, I don't expect you to understand, but this is my job, when the time zone, my homeworld was destroyed, I was saved. It is my job to make sure the malicious ghost of the ghost zone doesn't hurt people like you, or mom or dad, or anyone. I'm stopping them because I'm the only one who can." The boy said.

He knew it was true though it was quite the burden to bear; would he ever had a normal life, he wondered.

Most days, he felt as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. He wanted to be human. He really did. That was one thing he never was and one thing he'll never be. He was an alien. He was not of the earth, and not of the stars. He was from a place long forgotten. He was from a place that would never exist again.

His sister nodded, putting a hand up to stop him from going on. She had heard it all before, but it still wounded her heart to see her baby brother coming home with wound after wound it truly did. "Danny boy" came the booming voice of jack Fenton, the two siblings father, "Maddie he's here Danny boys' back!" the man screamed in the same childish excitement the girl had had.

A rumbling was heard, as the woman rushed downstairs as fast as her 54-year-old body could carry her. "my baby boy" Maddie Fenton said, rushing toward her son who cracked his famous lopsided boyish grin, "I love you too mom" the boy said, his smile still firmly in its place. These were the times he was truly happy despite everything.

"stand up Danny, let me look at you have you been eating, we have some ecto lasagna, it's a bit green, and will bite back, but's it's still good" the woman said, as she made her way over, to her baby boy, he would always be a baby to her, even though the boy no stood a 6'2, and looked every bit of it.

Danny couldn't help but chuckle at his mother momentarily. Oh, how he loved her, oh how he loved them all. His family made him happy. His family made him very happy indeed although something was missing in his life the boy knew that.

His life had consisted of saving people, and that was it. He briefly wondered when his life stopped being a life, when he stopped living. Had it always been this way... no, he thought it hadn't? The boy reluctantly agreed to stand, showing his poor in awe mother, his cuts and bruises through his tattered shirt. The woman put a hand over her mouth, in awe and pain seeing her son in that way wounded her so. "oh, Danny I know you will continue to fight those ghostly menaces, no matter what, we say and we don't blame you, fighting them is the only thing you can do to honor your real parents…"

The woman said as she said the last to words, softly, and her heart stung at those words. Danny quickly rushed to her mother's side, wrapping her in a hug. Danny was from a faraway land, but earth was his home, and Maddie was his mom. Maddie knew he knew that it still hurt her though that somewhere out there, he had parents who were just like him. That was something Maddie Fenton could never be. She could never be what her son was.

"you guys are my real parents, clockwork and Elisabeth, are just clockwork, and Elisabeth I love them, I do they are a part of me, but you guys are my real parents, and jazz is my real sister" the boy said, as Maddie let a tear slide down her cheek, even though she already knew how her son, felt it right to have reassurance.

It felt good, especially after having him in and out of Fenton works. He was flying for months at a time, on missions to fight ghost, in various countries. It was hard on the family. Maddie ran an aging hand through her graying hair. It had once been a somewhat light brown. It had thinned out a little due to age, but it was still in the same short bob.

She needed invigoration, they all did, and they just wished that their son could fight closer to amity or at least somewhere in America. Little did they know their silent pleas were about to be answered. Though not exactly in the ways they wanted. After the long hug with his mother, Danny sat back down and got serious look on his face.

It was time to rip off the band-aid he had to tell them now, or he doubted he ever would.

They all knew it was something big, Danny was a carefree guy, a good guy, a boy scout so to speak, though he never was one, of course when he was serious things were serious. "I um, I got some news…" the boy began, as the room grew silent, all attention focused on him, he continued.

"…I'm moving to New York…permanently" the boy said, shocking his family, the boy who was the true definition of a drifter was settling down it was unheard of. "You're moving somewhere and staying," jazz said, raising an eyebrow, her facial features emitting shock, as the others were.

She silent hid the fact that she wished he was moving back to amity park. She couldn't say that though she had to be happy for him just because she was stuck being amity parks best therapist didn't mean he had to be held there too. She only wished she dared to get out of the small town.

"Have you found a girl?" Maddie said, her face excited like a child once more. Her wrinkles smiled with her as jack cut in just as thrilled. Maddie's violet eyes were alive with glee. Perhaps they'd finally have a wedding or maybe even grandchildren after all waiting on their therapist of a daughter was exhausting. The girl was married to her work.

"Wait ago, that's my boy, when do we get to me her," Jack said, earning himself, a bump in the arm courtesy of his wife. Blushing Danny got a look of annoyance on his face. He felt a pang in his heart before speaking.

"there's no girl, but maybe there will be, that's one of the reasons why I'm moving there I can't spend my whole life only honoring Clockwork and Elisabeth. I have to honor you guys too, I have to honor Danny Fenton. Danny Fenton hasn't been doing much at all. So I'm moving to New York and giving him a life. I can deal with both human and ghost crime there, and who knows this girl who guys have been wanted me to meet might be there."

The boy finished, with another lopsided grin, as he thought about finding his soul mate, he found himself wondering who she might be often.

He hadn't really been in a relationship, since his high school girlfriend Valerie grey, who at one point he thought it might be her. He knew now he was wrong. Danny Fenton had been practically everywhere in the world, flying a 212, which was double the speed, he flew at when he first started the awakening of his powers. Back then, he only flew at 112. Now he seemed to be getting a bit faster has time wore on.

He had learned 4 languages, besides Tempus, which was the language of his people; in fact, he wasn't just a citizen. He was a prince; that's why the language was his last name.

Now thanks to his travels, he had Japanese, Spanish, French, and Russian. He had had a few out of character one night stands, with a few women in a couple cities, but never had enough time, or will to stay long enough for anything else.

Now he was 25, and was tired of his parents bugging him for grandchildren or marriage, and decided he wanted to at least pretend to be normal. Normal 25-year-olds got jobs and dated and what not. So that's what he chose to do.

He hoped he would find her, so maybe for once, he wouldn't feel so alone in a world full of people. Despite his parent's love and sisters, he was still alone; they didn't know what it was like.

He hated it. The loneliness was the worst of it all. It made him feel like even more of an alien. He missed having a woman to share his life with. Though he supposed Valerie gray was never that girl. He hoped she, whoever she was, would know how he felt to be alone (as cruel has that sounded). The alien was pulled out of his musings momentarily before hearing his father speak.

"So, let me get this straight your moving to New York, to find your soul mate," Jack said, completely missing the point. "No, I'm going to work as an investigative reporter, for the New York times, and live life, as a normal man."

Danny sighed at times his father's daftness annoyed him, but he loved Jack just the same. The boy said, allowing Jack to comprehend that new information. "Why not work for Amity Chronicles," Maddie said, sadly.

Ohio was nowhere near, New York plane tickets were expensive, and Danny could only fly 212 miles per hour, how often would they get to see each other, the woman wondered. Still, they knew they couldn't keep him there though selfishly they almost wished they could.

"Guys, I know this, sounds bad, and it sounds like I'm just going away again, but I'm not. I am just a phone call away, I'll always be here… I promise," the boy said determination in his eyes. "I love you, little brother, and I'm proud of you." Jazz said, trying to give Danny some support about his decision. She was always his most significant support system that was her little brother, and she swore long ago to protect the boy at all costs.

"I support, you always my boy," Maddie said, smiling as a tear broke loose. "Let's celebrate with fudge," Jack said, his childish grin breaking out once more. Maddie, jumped up from her seat at the table as she got up to go get the fudge, the ecto lasagna was long forgotten Danny thanked whatever deity for that.

Over looker's pov

Flashback 3 years prior

22-year-old Sam Manson sat at a table full of stiff and nasally businessmen. She was at what was supposed to be the meeting for the company she was supposedly supposed to succeed. But Sam Manson had other plans, she just couldn't take it anymore.

Her amethyst eyes held a look of oppression. The look of a caged animal. She wasn't free. Her nails were perfectly groomed her dark black hair was freshly curled, her make up was professionally done, and she hated it. She hated every minute of living in their world. She'd be damned straight to hell before she lived her whole life in their fashion.

She couldn't take her parents, merely writing her off, and she was about to prove it. All her life, she had done things as close to what they wanted that she could possibly think of. It was little things mind you, like dating joe masters, for example, though for the time being, she had really loved him. Still, Sam had tried though the girl had a rebellion in her, Sam had still secretly wanted her parent's approval.

"I call a recess, 10 minutes," the girl said, smirking at her mother, who gave her the most significant glare she could muster. The businessmen began filing out of the room confused, and a bit baffled, leaving the two Manson women alone.

Pamela Manson held her phony botoxed smile until the last one left the room, then it turned into a scowl. The strawberry blond-haired woman stood, shaking furiously as she banged, bother hands on the table in anger. "What the hell is wrong with you, Samantha?"

The woman damn near screamed she thought her daughter was done rebelling, yet here she was. It angered her to the core. For once, Pamela Manson just wanted her daughter to live up to her, and her husband's Jeremy's expectations. She silently cursed her now-deceased mother in law for this.

She had always been just like her daughter, and that was part of the reason she and Ida never got along. Pamela's face was beet red in anger; she couldn't believe her daughter was pulling this yet again.

Sam snapped addressing her mother she couldn't wait any longer she had to do this for her. "it was me, the real me, not a phase not rebellion, I can't do this anymore mother, I have to be myself" the girl said, her eyes downcast a bit, at knowing neither of her parents would never understand her, they never had. She wanted their approval she did, but she couldn't sit around anymore waiting for something that may never come.

When she decided, she was an ultra recyclo vegetarian, that was a phase to them, the same thing with her Goth image, neither of which she dropped because they were her a considerable part of her, but Pamela and Jeremy Manson would never understand that.

"So, what the hell do you want to do, Sam" the woman said, saying her daughter's nickname, with all the venom she could muster. "This," the girl said, pulling out an old worn for wear superman comic book, that the girl used to read all the time as a kid, and still read sometimes, just because.

Pamela paused before she broke out into a burst of shocked laughter. As soon she let it die down, her shock was still evident in her face Pamela began to shake her head in amusement her perfectly done strawberry blond hair shaking with her.

"you want to fly Samantha," the woman said her chuckles still in her voice. She just couldn't help herself. "no, mom, I want to help people. I want to tell the truth, but my writing to good use. Last week I applied for a position at the New York times. They said because I've never worked at a newspaper before I have to start out on small stories, but Petey Walcott said that I have the potential to be the best New York has to offer."

The girl said a genuine smile beaming on her face, as her mother sighed she straightened her spine so she'd have the perfect posture.

"Well… I'm still in my prime, and you're still quite a young girl so, I'll tell you what hmmm, you get this Lilly lame business out of your system…"

Sam rolled her eyes at her mother's butchering of her favorite character's name. She sighed as well; her amethyst eyes held a sadness in them.

"It's Lois lane mom, and your still not getting it. You and dad have never gotten it, ever my life isn't a phase. Mom, who I am isn't a phase, and I do hope one day you see that." The young woman said, gather her gothic briefcase with grotesque stickers covering it, and smoothed down her jet-black pencil skirt, as she left the room without another word.

She was done trying to please her parents at all, what good would it do her. What right had it ever done her.

"Ohh the girl will, come around I'm sure…" Pamela Manson said to herself, as she got up and proceeded to go outside and tell the suited businessmen that, the recess was over.

Pamela and Jeremy Manson would never understand their daughter. It pained Sam that the only person who ever did was now dead and gone.

Flashback over, present day

Over looker's pov

25-year-old Sam Manson shook her head as if the painful memory would go, with it as she took a sip of her black coffee and finished up the last few sentences of her stories.

The girl had achieved everything she wanted and more, she was one of the most respected reporters in the u.s.a.. She even had her own billboard. Her conscience was fulfilled. The girl had also taken a young boy under her wing as she called it. He even became like a brother to her.

He was rather annoying, and the two were polar opposites, but at the end of the day, they had each other's back. He was like an 18-year-old brother to her. The girl smiled at the thoughts of some of his antics. He was so full of joy, and so optimistic most of the time. He wanted to be a reporter, and the young girl believed he would. Petey treated the two of Sam and Tucker like family. He also treated Tuck like his bitch in a plan to teach him to stand up for himself.

Sam gave off an uncharacteristic chuckle, before letting her face go back to her regular expression that was usually firmly on her purple painted lips. Getting up, the girl walked her jet-black hair swung briskly. Until she got to a door that had an artificially fogged window that said in pristine printed black letters, that said Petey Walcott, Editor in Chief.

Stopping there, the girl put her hand on the hand before barging in the door. This was Sam's routine go to work, work, and go home. It was the same thing every day. The paper was her life, and she pretended to be content with it, though there had always been something missing.

She shook her head once more before speaking. "Walcott, do you have another story for me." the girl said, a smile gracing her, there were two things that seemed to make Sam smile, her stories, and Tucker. When he wasn't annoying the hell out of her. Other than that, the girl kept a stoic look upon her delicate features, she was in pain, not that she'd ever admitted it. Everything Sam did was subconsciously seeking her parent's approval, although she never got it.

She figured she never would, the girl had stopped trying in what seemed like a lifetime ago.

The last time she had, it was when she had a high school romance with Vlad master's son, joseph master's. Despite the Manson fortune, dating the son of a wealthy billionaire made her parents proud. The last time she was sure they had hated her, was the day she told them she dumped him.

Before that, she was positive, that they had loved her in their own way. Now she truly wasn't so sure. She felt like just another thing they had bought with their billions, and she hated it. To add insult to injury was her grandmother's death when Sam was only 18, well that just made things far worse.

Shaking her head from yet another painful memory, the girl awaited her boss's answer. The man was in his early 50's his sandy brown hair faded rapidly into gray. (Well, the part of his hair that was still there.) He was a short, plump man, who was just as obsessed with the paper, as Sam Manson. That was the way he got where he was.

Sometimes Sam wondered did she genuinely want to be where he was. In her somewhat old age; his wife had divorced him six months ago for lack of being home. He was always at the paper. Did she truly want that? The girl obviously wasn't getting any younger, and time passed quickly as she knew. It seemed it was just the other day she was a gothic ten-year-old obsessed with superman comics. She was the oddball in any group. Sam had always been different. Growing up had been very lonely.

With girls, they made fun of her for reading comics, saying that they were for boys. With the other gothic kids, they didn't understand why she'd read superman as opposed to batman. And the reason was that most people liked batman because he was human, she liked superman because he wasn't. Sometimes… no, most of the time, Sam felt like an alien.

Superman was the last of his kind, all alone on a planet full of people. To her, to not be bitter to still wear bright colors, and see the world that wasn't even his so optimistically, he was indeed a hero.

To never be tempted by all that power, yes, that's why she liked superman. Sure, she would have liked him more, if he wore darker colors, but hey, everyone had their flaws, right?

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I have a project for you two." At this, the girl's eyes narrowed. The last time she had a story with someone else, it was to pretend to be married to one of her coworkers. That little incident had almost got her raped if it wasn't for her trust combat, boots that she would have been violated for sure.

"What kind of project?" The girl said through gritted, teeth 'What torcher can this project bring?' the girl thought. She didn't like working with people. That was a fact she didn't trust people. That was how she was, especially now. Call her jaded, but that was her. "We have a rookie reporter in from amity park, and he's quite good I want you to-" Petey started, but the hotheaded girl, refused to even let him finish.

"Oh, no no no, come on Walcott, I thought we had an understanding I told you, I'm not really a people person I-" the girl began her eye's softening a bit, has memories of being rejected by her peers flashed through her eyes. She felt so small. She felt like that little girl again. She hated feeling this way, she hated it more than anything in the world.

"What about the kid?" the man asked, raising an eyebrow a smirk applied to his lips. He wondered what her response would be. It was apparent the two were close, but even he didn't know everything. "Tuck's different, and even him and I have boundaries, look Walcott-"

The girl tried once again, but Walcott had it, his mind was made up. He watched over the whole office and saw everything. He saw who needed what, and who wanted who and who was in trouble, everything. The office of the New York Times was less like a bunch of coworkers, and more like a family.

He knew exactly what Sam needed. He didn't know all the details, but he knew who her parents were, and had the displeasure of meeting them once. He knew what growing up in their household could do to a child. He noticed that even in the setting of the office, Sam didn't quite fit in. Of course, the others tried to welcome her. It was as if she just couldn't fit in.

Her and Tucker stuck together, because the boy was the youngest in all the office, and he spent most of the time with his technology and inventions, then socializing. Of course, Tucker carried around his trusty camera, being the resident photographer and all. He knew the two were missing something, and somehow, in a matter of a year or so, he saw Sam, and the boy from amity park together, and married. Little did he know...

He wanted good for both Sam and the boy from amity park, he seemed lonely too.

"Sam, it's final, it's an order," and with that Sam knew, he was serious he never gave her orders, well he did but not in that tone, so she knew she was going to have to agree, gritting her teeth the girl did just that. "Fine, where is Mr. Amity anyway?"

The girl quipped as she cracked, a sarcastic smile "behind you" Petey said as a smirk graced his features, the girl turned around to meet Danny Fenton, the boy was clad in a light blue suit the color of his eyes, and a vibrate green tie, it damn near fit like a second skin accenting all of him. His messy hair dropped over his light blue eyes, and at seeing the sight of Sam before him, his signature lopsided grin broke out upon his face.

The two just stood there for a minute, as amethyst eyes meet ocean ones, and something clicked deep deep down in there subconsciousness, the man who couldn't stay put and the girl who couldn't seem to get close to anyone, knew that they had found their soul mates. Of course, their consciousness wasn't even ready to admit it, let alone there out loud voices. That would take a while.

Still not breaking his smile, Danny put his left hand up to the back of his neck, suddenly nervous of the girl before him. He hadn't been this tense since he had his growth spurge, in the summer between 9th grade and 10th. Yet here he was as nervous as he was way back then. 'what the hell is she doing to me' the boy thought.

'Those eyes, that hair, I might not dislike having a partner after all,' the girl thought as another smile broke out upon her feature. She needed to add this to her list. This guy whose name she didn't even know, was the third thing that could make her smile. The boy cleared his throat and thought it best to introduce himself.

"I'm um Danny, Fenton," the boy said, extending his hand towards, hers which she gladly shook. When there's hands touched they, both felt a spark there. Their faces suddenly felt terribly hot. They both redrew their hands, turning their faces to hide their blushes.

"um, Sam, Sam Manson," the girl said as she finally stopped blushing only to begin again at his next comment. "I know I um, saw your billboard," he said, blushing once again, putting his hand to his neck again. 'Oh god no' the girl thought, embarrassed at the thought.

She had taken the photo just to shut Tucker up. It was at a function and boom the next minute she found out Petey had put a billboard, saying "Sam Manson exposing the truth since 2001". She hated it, it didn't represent her at all. It was extremely cliché and the outfit, well it was a Halloween costume a non-gothic one, mind you.

'The year I decided to wear a non-gothic costume, it becomes a fucking billboard' the girl thought bitterly. "I um, that billboard, is nothing like me," she said her face still mortified though she didn't know why. She was swooning; this was not in her nature at all. She honestly wondered what the hell was happening to her. Both she and Danny had forgotten entirely that they were still in Petey's office.

"Go on down to Vlad co. and get a statement, about his new endorsement for the government foundation the guys in white." The editor in chief said, breaking the barrier only soul mates had. The pair simultaneously cleared their throats and said, "let's go" at the same time. They both left the room afterward.

Once the door was closed and he was sure, they were gone, Petey mumbled to himself "lovebirds." Meanwhile, outside the door, and back in the central part of the office found Sam giving Danny a limited tour of the office, one the way to the elevator.

"… That's where the fashion writer's sit, and over there is my desk, and there is the 24-hour snack buffet. And this is-" the girl said before a black boy at the age of 18 with a red beret, and a yellow suit, with a grey tie, and thick black glasses, and a polaroid camera around his neck, came rushing up to the pair. His teal eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

"Hey Sam, who's your friend," the boy chirped. "This is Danny Fenton and were going to do a story at Vlad co. "oh" he said sadly, thinking he had been replaced, the 18-year-old boy was somewhat dependent on Sam. Though the pair fought a lot, to him, she was his sister. He loved her in that manner. Tucker's teal eyes looked sad.

Sam sensed his feeling, "Hey, tuck, chill just because I got a writing partner doesn't mean I won't need an annoying techno-geek to take pictures, for me." the girl said smirking. She got a smile from the boy. Just like that, his demeanor changed back to his normal cheery one.

"Hi Danny, I'm Tucker Foley" he said pulling out his PDA and flip phone, "You see I bought these as a normal PDA, has a normal PDA and cell phone but, now they can do so much more, they can hack into systems has important has the FBI, and it can even shoot lasers, as a weapon just in case, ya know the job gets too dangerous, and this camera as zoom features, I added myself by-"

Tucker said before being cut off, by Sam who was halfway across the room, inside an elevator that's doors were rapidly closing. "Hey Danny, all is fair in love and journalism," the girl said before the doors closed. Danny scrunched his eyebrows before he felt another grin growing on his lips. Damn, she was quick; Danny didn't even realize she had walked away.

He had mad respect for the girl she had bested him. That made her even more beautiful 'something tells me, New York will be the most interesting city yet.' The boy thought to himself, picturing her face in his mind, as he stared off into space. "Hey, don't worry, she still likes ya; Sam's a bit hard to understand" Danny felt his heartbeat fast at Tucker's words, 'is it that obvious.' He thought to refer to his affections, for the girl. "Hey, I won't tell anyone, even her," the boy said. Danny was happy Tucker would keep his secret

"Am I that obvious?" Danny asked, looking to the boy next to him. He could already see him, and he has good friends, maybe even something like brothers. "Blatantly, she's a tough one to crack, a real mystery ya know, she doesn't let anyone get to close, until me, and Petey now you, I could help you if you want."

Tucker said highly confusing, the boy "Ya know, get together with her," Tucker said, clearing things up, "Hey listen, it's not that simple, I'm- never mind I might take you up on that one day." Danny said, grinning and blushing at the thought of being with Sam.

Something clicked in his head, and he realized he had to get to Vlad co. Quick. He ran to the bathroom, the boy went in and changed into Danny phantom. He then phased through the wall and was on his way to Vlad co.

He was sure to beat Sam now, 'all is fair in love a journalism right, Sam' the boy thought though he knew she couldn't hear him. He flew high above the world below him faded away. He felt so free. He felt the clouds in his snow-white hair, doing flips and tumbles. Of course, most of all, he was thinking of the mystery that was Sam Manson.


	2. Mysteries at Vlad co.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: so, hey you guys welcome back to the adventures of Danny phantom it's been enjoyable writing this story. So, in this chapter, I'll introduce Vlad and his son my O.C. Joe and my other O. C. Crystal Winchester
> 
> Also, I know that I'm going get this question so I'll answer I'll now Vlad doesn't have ghost powers... Yet... We will learn about the origins of crystal later.
> 
> So, let's get this party started

"The best secrets are the most twisted"  
― Sara Shepard, Twisted

Over looker's pov

After a few minutes of flying Danny discreetly landed in the parking lot of Vlad co., ducking behind a car the boy changed to his human form as he fished his press pass out of his suit pocket, walking quickly to the area where a platform stood and there on it stood Vlad and his son Joseph Masters, various Vlad co. Employees, along with several bulky bodyguards. Littered on the ground was a crowd and several reporters and T.V. news station anchors. They were all looking up at the stage, amused by the people on it. Everyone always seemed amused by the wealthy and elite Vlad was the third richest man in the world, and everyone in the world seemed amused by him, especially.

Danny's ice blue eyes caught the sight before him; he had been in and out of all types of different places around the world, but to him, there was really no place like New York on planet earth. He briefly wondered if there was a place similar to it where he was from. He shook his head, then was not the time to be thinking of such things. He was at work, after all.

'Well, here goes nothing' Danny thought this was his first job at N.Y.T. it was serious, he felt nervous. Walking quicker, Danny soon found himself lost in the crowd, listening to the tail end of Vlad's speech, preparing himself for reporter rush hour when all the reporters would be bombarding each other to get a statement from Vlad or at best Joe.

"...Today marks a day of a new era, no longer can ghost run rapid, no longer can they do what they want with this new funding, the united states of America will triumph against the monsters of the ghost zone." The man said fooling most into believing his every word, but Danny, he had looked pure evil in the face time and again and wasn't as easily led. There was something off about Vlad, dangerously so and Danny was sure of it. He frowned inwardly, taking a short mental note that he would have to expose the truth about him. His gut about these things was never wrong Vlad was very dangerous indeed.

"How the hell did you get here so fast?" Came Sam's voice as the girl made her way through the crowd, approaching the boy. "All is fair in love and journalism." The boy said as his signature grin broke out on his face. The smile turned into a smirk as he saw her still baffled look. She had decided to let it go, especially after how she had just left him behind at the office.

"So you got a plan on how we're gonna get to talk to Masters'" the boy said, raising an eyebrow. He had known a little about the masters beforehand due to his various travels, and from what he had heard, they were pretty private people." There's still a we" the girl said shocked the stunt she pulled in the elevator was a stunt to push him away, it was easier not to get close she knew that but yet it didn't work, and she didn't see herself trying again. If he could forgive her after ditching him to steal the story for herself, then perhaps he was someone she wouldn't mind letting in…or at least working with.

Danny smiled a reassuring smile. "Yeah, um were partners, and I know you're complicated and difficult, and that's okay, so am I, but we're partners," the boy said a hardened look on his face as he blushed hard, at seeing the girl also blushed. He ran his right hand through his messy black hair. "I um..." The girl said, trailing off, not knowing what to say.

Shaking her head, the girl soon got her wits about her. Still, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't help but think how cute he was, stumbling over his words like a fool. She couldn't let herself go there. She had to focus. She had worked her ass off to become one of the top reporters in the world male or female, and she wasn't about to let some dark-haired, blue-eyed, tall... distraction, distract her from the only thing she really had; her career.

Sam Manson stopped doing relationships and emotions and other such trivialities long ago, and there was no reason to start back now.

"When the speech is over, we go find Joe, he owes me a favor." The girl said just as the speech finished, and the girl grabbed Danny's hand and pulled him along.

Buzzing through the crowd, the people made their way to the front where Joe stood next to a Latina girl; in a short and revealing cocktail dress with a plunging neckline stood next to him, their arms draped around each other.

Joe was rather good looking he was 6 "1 an inch shorter than Danny he had a clean-cut haircut done on his dark brown hair, he had these substantial jade green piercing eyes, and was toned enough to fill out his gray business suit just enough without looking too bulky. Walking up to the pair, Sam scowled at the disgusting display of playboy Joe and his on and off girl Paulina Sánchez.

It was no secret that Sam couldn't stand Paulina, and it was vice versa. They had known each other since grade school and went through all of the grades of school together luckily Sam had gone away to college, and the two hadn't really seen each other regularly since high school graduation. Of course, they still kind would run into each other running in the same circles and all. Sam would have to see her every now and then, but she thanked whatever deity it wasn't an everyday affair.

With Joe, on the other hand, she didn't know how to feel about him, Sam began to rub her temples just being around the pair gave her headaches. "Joe, Paulina..." The girl greeted finally as she seethed the girl's name with venom, she approached the pair.

"Joe, I need to talk to you." the girl said as she pulled him, a few feet from Paulina Danny quickly following. Paulina sent a glare their way making a mental not to put the heat on Joe about it later. Danny didn't trust Joe either. It wasn't just because he was Vlad's son. Danny wasn't the type to judge a man on the sins of his father, but he knew somehow that joe masters and more than enough of his own sins to account for.

"What Sam you can't just come in here, barging in-" Joe began before Sam cut him off. He knew exactly what she wanted, and she was gonna be damned if she wasn't the only reporter to get it. Sam Manson was a go-getter, or perhaps that was a vast understatement ." Summer 1997, you said, and I quote, 'I owe you my life Sam' so I want to cash the favor in, or is the 'honorable' word of Mr. Joe masters another lie." The girl said with a smirk, and her eyebrow rose. She had no qualms cashing in on her history with Joe's masters. They were complicated at best, but she knew better than anyone Joe wasn't as much as a snake as his father. When he made a word, he meant it. In that regard, he was a man of honor. She knew she had won.

"What do you want, Sam" the boy seethed, knowing she'd never back down if he didn't oblige. He knew she was right for some reason. He still wanted to prove that his word was to be honored, despite everything. He didn't carry a candle for her the same way he had once, but still, she'd always be one of his only 2 weaknesses.

"Nothing really just an interview, with your father in his office, and oh say a tour of the Vlad co. Lab," the girl said her smirk still applied to her lips. Truth be told the girl didn't hate the boy in front of her like she pretended to, in fact, Sam once loved him, but now the woman still cared for him though not in the same way, she wasn't romantically caring for him, but she did care for him nonetheless. But she'd never show it, she couldn't not after what happened. She didn't trust him anymore.

Flashback

Master's manor 1996

17-year-old Sam Manson stood in the mirror naked as the day she was born has she let a few tears slip from her eyes; something wasn't right; she knew it. Her breaths were ragged and bestial her amethyst eyes wild and searching. She regretted what Joe and he had just done, she regretted it with everything she had, and she had finally let him have his way with her after three years she had finally let him, and she hated herself for it.

While they were intimate, it was like the veil of ignorance she had about him had faded, in his eyes, she saw something for the first time...something evil. Of course, at the moment, she just let the intimacy proceed, and even after she was hollow, but now hours into the night, she had gotten up and locked herself in the bathroom.

What she had seen scared even her, and Sam Manson didn't get scared, she thought it wasn't in her D.N.A. until that night. She knew what she had to do, she couldn't be with someone with that kind of malice in their eyes, the type of evil that show he had just murdered and liked it. This fact disturbed her more than she thought anything ever could. She felt blindsided like everything she knew was a lie, and she hated it.

So she knew what she had to do, she'd wait until morning though. The girl slipped her robe on her face emotionless, and unlocked the bathroom doors, as she climbed into bed beside him, an inhaled the scent of his pillow as she wrapped her arms around him for the last time, she felt him settle into her embrace his tense muscles relaxing from her warmth, she let a few more uncharacteristic tears slip out, knowing in the morning it would have to all end.

Flash back ends

"Fine, Sam, but you know what I don't understand why the hell you hate me, what did I ever do to you," the boy said, wishing only to understand. She never told him why she dumped him, she never breathed a word to anyone about the matter. Now it had been years she felt he deserved to know.

"Nothing, not me, but you know what you've done, and I don't need to tell you." His eyes widened. He didn't know how to feel about any of it. He finally had his answer though now he wished he hadn't. Realizing what she met the boy whispered in her ear,

"You know, don't you, things I've done..". He began as she nodded, suddenly uncomfortable with the closeness. His eyes held guilt in them. That was something she had never seen before in him. He became curious for a moment. He had to know something else. "...why have you not told? Why am I still out," the boy said, shocked. If she knew he couldn't understand how he and his father were still unscathed by the iron bars of the penitently. Surely she would have turned him into the police, he thought. "I never could, besides I had no proof." The girl said the last part with a smirk on her face. She really didn't want to talk about it anymore; it was bringing up things she'd rather forget.

'And part of me hoped you'd stop doing your father's bidding.' Sam thought as she looked down sadly, "all of this ancient history now, are you gonna live up to your word or not." The girl aid slipping back into her icy facade.

"yes, your requests are honored," the boy said stoically, before walking away again. This conversation was painful for him, too, but then again reliving the past always was. Danny, who was standing there the whole, decided to finally speak up. He wouldn't admit it just yet, but he was jealous Joe had dated Sam, and that made his blood boil.

"So, what, what um... That." The boy said, putting emphasis on the last word. "Ancient history," the girl replied, and he got the point though it didn't make him feel any less jealous, they then began walking into the double doors that led into Vlad co. Building. Once inside, the pair noticed the exquisite decor of the building they had never been inside no reporter really had.

The walls we a beautiful beige, and there were designs painted on with gold. Ornate white marble tiles were placed intricately on the floor in a perfect manner. Every so often on the wall, you would see a fancy painting people would pay loads of money for. The look of the place was breathtaking; if that weren't enough, the hallways were lit up with golden chandeliers that dangled from the ceiling every few feet.

Yes, the view was wondrous; however, Joe and Sam's relationship plagued Danny's mind. Danny had to know more, he had to know if there was anything still there, he felt as if he couldn't compete with the son to the 3rd richest man on planet earth. Momentarily he thought that perhaps it was for the best considering his baggage, but he decided to voice his question anyway. "When, if you um don't mind me asking... I mean I don't want pry I was just-" the boy began before being cut off.

"High school, we um, we were close but um, he wasn't who I thought he was, so I ended it," the girl said awkwardly, wondering why he wanted to know. She didn't open to people easily; even with Tucker, she never talked about the deepest parts of herself.

The last person she really let know her on the intimate of a level was Joe, and when he left her no choice but to leave, she felt like she lost a part of herself. It broke her downed, and she mourned the love they had lost. It killed her ignoring his advances to get back together, it's part of the reason she left for college of all the way in California, but somehow, she still found herself back in New York and back in the realm of Joe Masters with Paulina her high school adversary hanging on his arm.

Danny and Sam walked through the long, unnecessarily fancy corridors of Vlad co. With awkward silence filling the air. Sam thought it best to try and fill it with something. She had promised herself that after Joe, she'd never let anyone get that close again.

She'd have a few one night stands, and one embarrassingly unprofessional short-lived office romance, when she was fresh out of college and much greener, but never anything that even came near love.

The way she saw it, she had had it, and I hurt like hell when she had to give it up and she didn't know if her heart could take round two. Still, despite everything Danny was trying. He was trying to be her partner, he was trying to know her, so she figured she could at least meet him halfway.

"look Danny joe, and I are complicated. We always were, I guess. He was the popular asshole, and I was the little grungy 90s, girl with the tape player in the corner. Joe and I happened, and it was nice while it happened, but we were kidding ourselves, thinking that we could be the one high school couple that just makes it. We were meant for then, not now." the girl said, helping him understand.

'She loves Joe the way I love Valerie,' the boy thought, and it was true that was the way Sam loved him. He smiled inwardly, though he still wasn't sure why. He shouldn't be doing this, building up to something with her when he had so much baggage, but alas, he couldn't help himself.

"You understand," the girl said, cocking her head to the side and looking in Danny's eyes. "Yeah, I do." the boy said as he pressed the up button on the elevator, the pair had walked to during their conversation. They now only had to wait for the elevator to stop at there floor. Sam decided things were getting far to close for comfort, so she did like always and deflected, by changing the subject. "So you worked at the paper from your hometown," Sam asked her eyebrow rose curiously, hoping he had at least done this before. "I was an intern when I was about tuck's age at amity times, but I interned all over the world."

The boy said just as the elevator dinged, and the pair got in. "Why not get a job...well um until here," the girl said blushing hard though she didn't know why. "It's complicated," the boy said, looking down. Now it was her turn to be curious. "You're or well were some kind of nomad," the girl asked fishing around.

"What's a no had," the boy said his boyish charm so evident on him his face sparkling with childish curiosity, he apparently didn't know what nomad met. Well, they didn't call him clueless for anything he supposed. Sam chuckled at him. just as the elevator opened on the penthouse. Vlad co. was the tallest building in New York and made no attempt to hide it. The pair stepped out of the elevator has Sam stared marvel and wonder at his boyish charm, shaking her head she grabbed the boys hand and pulled.'

'This was the type of innocence that should be protected at all cost.' Sam thought

Reaching the double doors to Vlad's office, the girl knocked swiftly on the wooden door, hoping to be answered right away. The door swung open, and there stood a short pale-skinned woman with short dark black hair and a black business dress on. The girl stood at about 5 "2. She had piercing jade green eyes that held mystery and malice. Opening the door wide enough, Danny and Sam took that as there cue to enter the office. Once in the pair found Vlad sitting behind his vast wooden desk, a cigar in one hand, and scotch in the other.

"ahhh if it isn't the harlot who whored herself out to my son and then left him," The man said annoyed, he had, had a particular loathing for the girl since she had dumped his son, though as a businessman it would look bad, to ignore the press. At this Danny's eye's flashed a violent green. He ignored every primal instinct and kept his cool.

"Mr. master's that is highly inappropriate and—" Danny started before Sam cut him off. "no Danny, he's right I did sleep with him son, although it's complete and utter red herring, to divert us from his nefarious plans, no doubt," Sam stated bold and unapologetically, her glare unwavering.

Danny was very impressed, and Vlad was highly annoyed, but instead of showing this, he did what would piss her off the most and ignored her instead of diverting his attention to Danny. "ahh Mr. Fenton, my boy so good to meet you in person. The man said the fakest smile on his face as he stuck his hand out for Danny to shake.

Danny was shocked, to say the least. How the hell did this man know who he was? Danny shook Vlad's hand, making sure to grip it with a good amount of his strength, all the while giving the main a good glare. "you know me?" Danny inquired almost cautiously. Vlad laughed a haughty laugh. "your parents and I go way back to our college days. I make it my business to keep up with old friends." Vlad finished making Danny look a little green around the gills.

It wasn't so much what Vlad said, but how he said it. The depravity in his eyes, you could only see up close. Vlad looked even more off in person his utterly white hair pulled back into a ponytail, his grayish-blue eyes alive with malice his perfectly crisp business suit, he appeared to be the perfect businessman and philanthropist, but it was all just a carefully planned facade

Vlad really had a creep element to him. Standing up, Vlad walked over towards Danny, a skip in his step. He knew Danny was nervous and reveled in it.

Was Vlad lying? Were they really friends, if so why had he never visited there home, surely with all the money he had he could afford a plane ticket to amity park? This all seemed all too fishy. He made a mental note to ask his parents about Vlad. But then again did he really want to know... Danny thought his mind reeling though he knew right then he'd have to focus, on the interview.

Still, he wanted to ask more about how Vlad knew them, he thought against it. "If you two are done with this introduction I, thought might nice if we'd get to the interview." The girl said, annoyed sarcasm lacing her voice, as Danny gave her a look that said.' You ready'

The girl nodded in reply. The girl then fished through her purse for a tape recorder and started recording. "Mr. Master's I'd like to start by asking, why would you fund the guys in white government operation, there a group focused especially on supernatural entities correct," the girl said an eyebrow raised curious, as to his ulterior motives. She knew he had some, Vlad Masters' was an evil and mysterious man knowing that is one thing but proving it is an entirely different matter.

"Yes, Mrs. Manson, they are, and the reason why I have lent my generosity to their cause is simple. I live part-time in the beautiful dairy king castle in Wisconsin and have my own glorious cabin in Colorado and my own wonderful penthouse here in New York. But you see I have the tallest building in the city, and…" The man said, walking towards the big window, the overlooked, the city. "Those people down there, they don't have that, all they have is their lives, so that's why I'm protecting them."

The man finished before, coming to sit back down in his chair, taking a sip of his scotch. Both Danny and Sam could smell the stench of bullshit oppressive in the room. Sam was ready to beat the answer out of Vlad, but she knew she had to keep her composure.

Stopping her recorder, Sam rolled her eyes. She didn't want this part to be on the recording. "So, you expect me to believe that this is all about helping the civilians of the world." The woman said venomously knowing, that there was something far more to it.

Hell, even clueless Danny knew it. "Well, that is the statement Mrs. Manson, shall the prestigious New York Times misquote me?" the man said a smirk on his lips and malice in his eyes. He knew he was untouchable, and he relished it.

"Your right Mr. Masters what you say will go down exactly as you say it, though a good portion of the essay will be the writer's opinion, which in this case is me and my opinion is that your full of sh-" the girl started before Danny cut off her hot-headed rant. "Sam," Danny said, cutting Sam off. He had dealt with people like this before aggressiveness never got anywhere with them. You have to be cunning; you had to hit them where it hurt.

"Mr. Masters, are you getting anything out of this" Danny asked coolly as Sam looked sternly in his eyes. "I told Mrs. Manson the reason, I'm doing the funding for the G.I.W." the man said sternly. Vlad evaded the question like they knew he would.

Now it was Sam's turn." Of course, you did, but what you failed to do was answer my partner's question." The woman said as she and Vlad began a staring contest. "Yes, Mrs. Manson, I did," the man said simply. Sam knew this was futile, but she hopes one day she'd get him.

Danny, however, didn't dwindle so easily. "you want to know what I think Mr. masters. I think you are the type of man who sits here with his castle in Wisconsin and his cabin in Colorado and his big window in New York and doesn't give a damn about the people below it. In fact, that think it's entirely possible that you don't give a damn about anyone but yourself. You don't do anything if it doesn't benefit your need for more, more money and more power, and I think having the government in your pocket does just that. Don't you? Danny said, looking him square in the eye. Vlad's master's face contorted into the ugliest of snarls. He stood up promptly from his desk and slammed his hands down.

"Listen here boy, if you think you can waltz in my office with such slanderous accusations, then you have made a more powerful enemy then you can ever imagine." The man said darkly, his being oozing with the bestial look in his eyes.

Danny didn't down. He wanted Vlad to know he wouldn't bow to him like everyone else in this town. He wanted him to see that he knew exactly what he was getting himself into and couldn't be happier.

"You don't scare me Master's not. One. Bit." Danny gritted out his eyes, flashing green. Sam had never seen a reporter with so much passion. He cared he truly cared about people. He wasn't scared of Vlad, and that was a dangerous mistake she needed to get him out of there.

"we'd like our tour now!" Sam blurted, stopping Danny and Vlad's pissing match. Both of them had almost forgotten her presence. Vlad quickly composed himself. "Very well, I'll call Mrs. Winchester, in and she'll give you your tour," the man said, standing up and pressing a button on his desk. "We'll um wait outside," The boy said, gesturing for Sam to come with him outside. The girl followed. "Sam, why the hell you just give up in there," the boy said annoyance in his face.

"Listen, you don't know masters like I do, we won't get him this way. We are investigative reporters, so we'll investigate. He won this round, we'll write a boring surface story, about the guys in white and we'll bid our time, and were get sources and snitches, and were even do a little spying, and when we have our evidence that he's doing what we both know, he's doing we will nail his ass to the wall."

The girl said seriously as something happened to Danny's heart; it started beating faster than it ever had, and he liked it. His signature lopsided grin broke out onto his face as he looked at her. "Sam, you are a fucking genius, I could just marry you!" the boy said before he realized what he had honestly said. Twin blushes broke out onto both of their faces, at Danny's statement. "Thank you," Sam choked out through her embarrassment she always felt that way around him, she didn't understand it. She hardly knew him, yet she really wanted to more than she ever wanted anything. She couldn't help it. It was like something was pulling her to him.

"Excuse me, are two the reporters Mr. Master's wanted to give a tour to." The Same woman who had opened the door for them said. "Yes, Danny Fenton," Danny said as the three began walking. "Crystal Winchester." The woman said. They started their tour.

6 hours and countless doors later, Danny and Sam had seen mostly all of Vlad corps except for, the 2 secret floors that Vlad was performing illegal experiments on and several offices connected to those purposes. Unfortunately, all they had seen made Vlad's company look precisely how he wanted it to... Perfect, helpful to society, backing all his claims.

This facade fooled most, but Sam and Danny knew far better. Sam had attempted to plant a few bugs in various places, but thanks to crystal's powers, she figured the bugs out quickly.

Obviously running straight to tell Vlad... Sam was in hot water now. "Vlad..." The girl said, rushing into the man's office, dropping the bugs on the desk so he could see. "The reporter girl tried to plant them, but I stopped her." the girl said, sitting flirtatiously on his desk. "Go attack her, rough her up a bit, but don't kill her, at least for the time being." The man said maliciously. "Yes, master." the girl replied, her jade green eyes glowing red with evil excitement.

"See ya tomorrow, Danny," the girl called cheerfully out of character as she began to walk to her car. "You sure don't walk you to your car," the boy said, warily feeling like something terrible was going to happen to her little did he know. "Hey I'm a big tough girl, I can lace my own combat boots and everything." The girl said with a smirk as she turned on heel and walked away.

Danny watched warily until she was out of sight and then walked to go find a place to change. He had unknowingly left Sam defenseless.

"Hi, miss reporter" was the sound that rang in Sam's ears as she walked. Turning around, the girl saw a girl clad in a skin-tight leather suit, along with gloves and boots. Sam was shocked, to say the least, "nice boots."

Sam said sarcastically before throwing a punch at the girl. She wasn't scared for the time being, she was no damsel. The girl stumbled a bit but quickly retaliated. Crystal was rather impressed she had underestimated Sam Manson. Reaching out her gloved hand, Sam watched in horror as claws sprouted out of them. Fear grew in her, but she knew she had to keep fighting. She wasn't about to bow.

In fight or flight response, the girl tried to land a roundhouse kick, to the other girl's torso, only for the other girl to catch her foot and use it to through her to the ground. Though Sam continued to struggle, her efforts were futile, only a miracle could save her. Now she was terrified, and out of breath, sweat beads covered her body. Sam saw her life flash before her eyes; she had so many regrets. Never had she come this close to death.

Then crystal used her claws to make three long jagged scratches across the other girls face. Blood trickled from the wounds. Then she drug her claws across her torso, drawing horrid screams from the girl. Her torso bleeds as well. The amethyst eyed girl was still a fighter, though. Sam retaliated by kneeing the black-suited girl in her gut, causing her to fall back just long enough for Sam to run. Crystal had underestimated her opponent again.

Her pride was severely wounded, although her opponent obviously had super strength and was a trained assassin. Sam shook the thoughts from her head, continuing to dash, almost making to her car until the suited girl lassies her in a rope pulling her towards her; the girl quickly grabbed Sam the neck, putting her back against a tree. The bark dug into Sam's back. "What do you want," Sam choked as loud as she could muster with the other girl's rope, crushing her windpipe.

"Stay away from Vlad and Joe!" The girl spat dropping Sam to the ground, leaving her there in the soil, below her, before vanishing into thin air with a trace. Danny phantom that just happened to be flying over the area caught the tail end of the scene after the assassin had gone. Flying down quickly, Danny came to help Sam, upon realizing it was her rage, filled his being. He had been too late Sam was hurt, he cursed himself for that.

"Sa-...I mean miss, can you hear me" the boy stuttered, almost slipping up in his bewildered state. "She said stay away from Vlad as Joe" the girl mumbled before she passed out from shock, Danny picked her up tenderly as he flew off towards the hospital. He cursed himself again for leaving her alone.

After rushing through the doors of the emergency room with Sam's broken body, Danny took to the skies exciting the people present and sparking curiosity of the mystery hero with a off "D" on his chest. Danny was so mad he saw red he had never been this angry before in his life. Danny flew at top speed back to Vlad co. The wind was rushing against his face flushing his cheeks. Sam had been hurt, and this was unacceptable. Once there, he opted for floating right outside the penthouse window until Vlad noticed him his eyes were wide. Once he saw Vlad noticed him, he phased through the window. Vlad was taken aback but hid it well.

"Vlad masters correct," Danny said sternly though he already knew who Vlad was. "Yes," Vlad answered, curiosity piqued. "But the question is, who are you" Vlad shot back. "Phantom, Danny Phantom, and something tells me we're gonna be seeing a lot each other."

Danny said, his face serious his eyes flashing neon green. Recognition flashed through Vlad's dull gray-blue eyes for a moment he had heard of Danny phantom, but he had never been this close to his turf before. Vlad briefly wondered what had changed.

Why all of a sudden was he here, he surely hoped the great Danny phantom was just passing through, but judging by what he was saying that wasn't the case. Vlad gained his composure a smirk on his lips before speaking. "Ahhh, the ghost boy who uses his powers for good, how quaint" Vlad replied with a roll of his eyes, and that's when Danny had enough of Vlad's arrogance. Grabbing his collar, the boy pulled Vlad close to his face.

"Listen to me Masters you have everyone fooled, but I know the truth you sent your assassin to hurt An innocent young woman tonight and for that alone, I will work to my dying breath to, find evidence and when I do I will nail your ass to the wall, and that is a promise… oh, and if you ever want to find me… look up"

The boy said his eyes glowing so brightly, he put Vlad back on the ground and went back to phase through the window and left. Once Danny was gone, Joe entered the room. Vlad heard him come in a huff he turned around to face his son to see what he had to say. "You are foolish father, you send your bitch to rough Sam up, and she mentioned our names now phantoms on our asses," the boy said stemming.

He regretted a lot of decisions, but right now, agreeing to let crystal rough up Sam was at the top of his list. He had allowed her in the building against his better judgment, and now Sam was injured at the hospital. He felt terribly guilty. Crystal was just supposed to scare her, not harm her.

She had gone way too far. Maybe he should have just let Sam think he didn't want to honor his word, then she wouldn't be lying in a hospital bed now. His jade green eyes held a certain sadness in them now.

He wished he didn't rely so much on Vlad's approval, continually trying to be good enough. He was always hoping that doing Vlad's bidding would give him what he really wanted. Although now he knew that doing his father's bidding is what cost him, Sam. That wasn't an easy pill to swallow he had spent so long wondering why now he finally had his answer though it only seemed to make it worse.

Of course, he knew Vlad had an absolute darkness to him, but he just chose to ignore it. He just hoped he didn't have the same wickedness in him. He knew he did. He knew it had cost him, Sam, all he could do was hope that it wouldn't cost him Paulina too.

"Patience, dear boy, the Manson girl, is still needed," Vlad replied mysteriously, as Joe rolled his eyes. Vlad secretly made him uneasy. Joe's darkness didn't run deep like Vlad's did into his very soul. Joe cared about at least a few people, whereas Vlad truly only cared about himself. Surely, he loved Maddie and Joe in his own way. It was a selfish love for both accounts. "I know that father, no one is to touch Sam or Paulina. Everyone else is expendable. you've missed the point you've programed her to think she's in love with you; therefore, she's sloppy, the company can't afford it father crystal is obsolete."

The man proclaimed his jade green eyes alight as he went to go pour himself some scotch. Some things were like father and son, after all. Joe was more like his father than he'd care to admit. He took a sip of his scotch as he listened to his father's rebuttal. "Not yet dear boy, when I figure out how to alter human D.N.A. to make a halfa without imperfections, then Crystal will be obsolete, not before," Vlad said sternly showing his son that he was serious, but Joe being Joe kept on. He knew it was dangerous for Crystal to be around dangerous for everyone involved, especially Sam. "What if she were to remember James Winchester, and their marriage and her whole life before we reprogramed her, what then father she could easily take us both down."

The boy pointed out, but in the end, Vlad's cockiness won out. He felt untouchable, and to him, he was. "Such a thing wouldn't happen... Son" the man replied

Joe didn't know if he hoped Vlad was right or not, but one thing was for sure Joe was so conflicted these days.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: so yeah I know short chapter hope you enjoyed it, I know Joe looks like an asshole but don't hate him too much he is Vlad's son after all. Being raised by Vlad would cause a lot of trama to a child. Yeah he allowed Sam to be roughed up but crystal wasn't supposed to do so much damage she was only to scare her a bit, let her know not to mess with her, but Crystal is programmed to be a killer, so she doesn't really know where to draw the line between rough her up and kill her.


	3. Interview with the phantom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: welcome back my loyal readers so yes, we know a bit more about crystal and even joe and this version of Vlad, unfortunately, they won't be in this chapter, as the title implies this chapter is simply an interview between Sam and Danny in phantom form, also I know this is a quick update however I'm not at all sure when the next one will be. I will try to give you guys the next one, as soon as possible.
> 
> Also, go on an assume at least a two-week time jump for every chapter after this one unless I say otherwise

"I am not a child now.  
I can take care of myself.  
I mustn't let them down now-  
Mustn't let them see me cry.  
I'm fine. I'm fine. I'm too tired to listen. I'm too old to believe:  
All these childish stories. There is no such thing as faith,  
And trust, And pixie dust. I try, but it's so hard to believe. I try,  
But I can't see what you see.  
I try. I try. I try."

Joanatha Brooke; I try

Over looker's pov

After Danny Phantom's appearance in the hospital, New York was abuzz with the mysterious phantom hero. They were calling him invisobill until they could get an interview with him, due to the fact the boy had phased through the ceiling. Petey Walcott had but out a fury among his employees to get Phantom's story, and that sent every reporter in NYT out on frenzy, Petey wanted the phantom story at all cause. He wanted the NYT to be the go to paper for this mysterious hero. Danny had called in sick, knowing that he couldn't, be on the phantom story when he was phantom.

There was no way around this; he was going to have to sit this one out. It had been two weeks since the incident with Sam's attack. Danny Phantom had avoided the press as best he could while still saving people. Sam had been off from work the entire time due to her injuries though they were still partners.

It had been Petey's choice though it was much to Sam's chagrin. It was Sam's first day back at work, and Danny had called her that morning using a sick voice and wishing her well. He was glad she was doing better. Danny had visited a lot over her recuperating period, and the girl was grateful for the company. It had kept her from drowning in her loneliness that's really what she was more than anything. She was lonely.

Being back at NYT for Sam was amazing, she was going nuts just sitting and bidding her time, she had never felt more useless. This phantom story was important to Sam; he had helped her, brought her to the E.R. He saved her.

Though she hated the idea of being saved, she was grateful for Phantom. She really wanted to be the one to get the interview with him. This led to Sam not knowing where to go, this wasn't a typical story in every meaning of the word, Sam knew none of her snitches would know anything about the mysterious boy; her best was to look to the skies with binoculars, and try to signal the boy down. It wasn't the best plan, but it was the only one she had.

So that found the girl on top of the New York Times roof, with binoculars looking to the sky, it seemed fruitless, but just when the girl was about to give up, she noticed her target flying right towards her. Sam felt the chilly air nip at her skin goosebumps rose on her arms and legs. It seemed to get even colder as the Phantom got closer. She brought her hand up to touch the now healing scars on her cheek. The girl shook her head as she let her face break out in a victorious grin, she opened her mouth to direct him, to where she stood but quickly closed it, when she realized he was flying right towards her. That was very odd, she thought, did he remember saving her. No, it couldn't be. She figured he had saved countless people.

"Sam Manson, right," the boy asked feigning ignorance, the girl could only nod. She was secretly happy that he knew her name. This was the first time she got a good look at him up close. Sure, she had heard of, ghost even saw them on tv, but she'd never met one hell she hadn't yet seen one in person. The ones she had seen on tv didn't look like him. They had malice in their eyes, whereas she knew that somehow there was good in his.

They had harsh, inhuman skin tones fit for monsters, maybe even misshapen ears or cat-like eyes, but him he was different. If it weren't for his glowing green eyes and flight, surely, she would have mistaken him for a human. It was a rare occurrence for the girl to be defensive of media subjects, but this was different... He was different. He was breathtaking, and he intrigued her.

Before she passed out, all she remembered was looking in his eyes and seeing something she hadn't seen nor felt in quite some time, hope. He gave her hope in a world so cold, but being stubborn Sam, she had to have her surface doubt, though in her subconscious, she knew she was wrong. She wasn't ready to see that yet. She had been through too much to just hope again, just like that. She started to speak but paused, the girl needed to figure out something to say. The ghostly hero took her breath away in an odd yet familiar way. Shocked her that there was something familiar about him.

"What's your name? It can't be Invisobill right," the girl stated an eyebrow rose as; he flew down and sat beside her criss-cross apple sauce. She followed suit, sitting right beside him. She felt giddy inside kind of how Danny made her feel. She didn't want to like anyone, especially two guys at the same time. Sam was in a dilemma but decided she had a better focus on the interview she had waited a lifetime for. Smiling his signature grin, the boy simply said, "phantom, Danny phantom," smiling the girl gazed in his eyes as he stared back before they both turned to blush. This seemed all too familiar. She couldn't figure out why.

Clearing her throat, the girl pulled out her trusty tape recorder and pressed the little red recording button. "You mind if I interview you while you're here," the girl said excitement in her eyes. Phantom just smirked at the woman. He was a lot cockier, "you think I just came here for my health," the boy said sarcastically. He'd never say that if he weren't in his ghost form, it gave him courage, and he didn't know how or why, but he milked it. He was determined to act utterly different as phantom than he did as Fenton. He could never have someone find him out. He just couldn't handle that again.

A blush fell over Sam's face, as she cleared her throat once again, and began the interview. "Don't take this the wrong way, Phantom, but where do you come from." The girl asked, finally starting the interview. They were both very nervous, yet they didn't know why. "I come from another world, another plane of existence if you will, called the time zone... Zona Temporis in our language."

The boy began as Sam was entranced by his tail. 'He was so interesting,' she thought. "It's gone now," the boy said, a wry smile on his face. He hated talking about this. He had rarely talked about it with anyone, including his parents. He was the last of his kind, and though he wanted to be human more than anything... he wasn't. He'd never indeed come to terms with that.

"Zona Temporis was an intelligent and, and cocky plain of existence, the cockiness cost them their lives, they all died then they were sent to another world, where death is everywhere the ghost zone, and that's where all these ghosts that, plague earth come from" the boy finished looking down, feeling guilty, about the people from his world. The only people who were like him weren't like him at all; they were shells of their former selves. They were a ghost in every sense of the word.

"Hey, it's not your fault," the girl said as if syncing, what he was thinking she put a hand on his in comfort. "Thanks," he said, squeezing her hand a bit. Clearing her throat in embarrassment, the girl drew her hand back, as she went back into her professional facade. She liked phantom more than she'd care to admit. "Your story begs the question now, and again don't take this the wrong way, why are you here." The girl said uncharacteristically nervous. "To help," he said coolly, with a smirk on his face.

"Come on, you know I need more than that," the girl said, giving him a playful glare. He continued deciding to give her a little more. "My given name was Phantom Tempus, prince of

Zona Temporis, the last son of Zona Temporis. I should have died with my people, but my father knew our world was doomed he tried to tell the Observants, hell even tried to tell the people, but they trusted the Observants and deemed my father... I mean clockwork wrong.

He and Elisabeth had made a tiny ship only big enough for a small child, they put me in it with a message, and I arrived here, but my people died."

The boy finished a solemn look on his face, the girl looked at him warily though deep down she knew there was no need to. She felt so bad for him. He was all alone in a world full of people, she felt like that sometimes, but now she almost thought that she had no right to, next to Phantom.

He reminded her of her old superman comics, there was something she was dying to ask. "You see Phantom, that's what I don't get, how you can still be so free happy go lucky, dare I say cheery, hell even trusting when you've been through so much. Why aren't you angry, bitter distrusting? How can you after everything you lost want to help us" the girl asked with emotion, though she knew she was asking herself. She thought perhaps his answer would help her.

"I was angry, I was damn right pissed when I found out who, and what I was, but something changed my mind" and just like that things clicked for Sam. "The message," the girl said softly, still entranced by the boy before her.

He was familiar but strange, he was the epitome of opposites, and it shocked her a bit, never had she met a mystery she couldn't solve, but it seemed she had met her match.

"You are Phantom Tempus our son, and you have powers beyond that of human's, though you might be tempted to use them in tyranny, and create chaos, honor your father and I and use them to make earth a better world, use them to protect the people, who cannot protect themselves, fight for truth and justice my son, and keep goodness in your heart, my son the last son of  
Zona Temporis, may goodness be with you always."

Danny repeated Sam instantly realizing what the words he said were, for a moment no words were spoken, she felt the barrier of ice around her heart shake a bit, as she looked in his eyes, and saw goodness there. In fact, she saw the same thing in Danny's eyes.

These two were gonna have her swooning left, and right, the girl had thought. "Okay so, where do you go when you're not Danny Phantom," the girl asked warily. His reply was simple. "Maybe I'll tell you one day," the boy said, getting up and preparing to fly off. That one reply seemed very honest she hoped he would tell her who he was someday; she really wanted to know. "Wait," the girl said, standing up as well, putting the tape recorder on stop signaling the interview was over. There was something she needed to know. "Why me, out of all the reporters, why me" at this Danny smirked.

A playful yet devious smile crossed his features, he was going to get himself some points on this one. "it could be because I think you're the most beautiful woman in this world or the next..." He said and paused to see her shell-shocked reaction. Then he continued, "...or it could be because Danny Fenton recommended you," Phantom said, and one wink at Sam later, the mysterious ghost boy flew off, leaving Sam in her thoughts.

Reaching in her black coat pocket, the girl fished out an old worn, superman comic book. Flipping through it, the girl reminisced, smiling to herself. "Oh phantom, I want to believe you," the girl said to herself, reapplying ice to her guarded heart.

She was confused, not knowing where she stood at all. She was Sam Manson she didn't swoon, she didn't get weak in the knees for one let alone two guys, no matter how noble they seemed she didn't want to trust them, despite the fact she knew she already did. She liked both Fenton and Phantom, and she didn't know how to feel about that.

The girl leaned back and sighed, thinking herself silly, for all her antics. "What the hell are those two doing to me," the girl said to herself, sighing once more, before standing up and turning on heel, to go back inside the office and write the story.

A couple of hours and several hundred typed words later, a "miraculously" recovered Danny Fenton entered the office. Sam didn't even notice given how tired she was from everything going on.

Standing up and stretching her back like a cat, the girl gave off a yawn. "Watch it, those are contagious," said the blue-eyed black-haired boy, as he stood behind Sam. She was shocked to see him there out of the blue.

At the same time, however, she was elated to see him back on his feet. She wondered briefly what he was doing at the end of the day. "Better late than never, huh," the girl said yawning once more, this time turning to face her friend. She cracked a small tired smile.

"Hey, I had a rare disease called the common cold," the boy said a signature grin spread out on his face. "Ya know in the dark ages millions died of the common cold," the girl told a smirk on her face as she turned, and grabbed the paper from the printer the girl opted for handing it to Danny to read. His eyes widened, after seeing the words "by Danny Fenton and Sam Manson?" he shook his head to make sure he saw it right. Did she give him credit when he hadn't even done anything?

"I don't understand Sam," the boy said, putting a hand to the back of his head, his blue eyes sparkling with curiosity. "You know what you did... Partner," the girl said lowly as she planted a tender kiss on, Danny's check. "Thanks, Danny," the girl said as she walked toward the elevator. He silently thanked himself for telling Sam that he recommended her to Phantom. A blush lit alive on both of their checks. They had a moment where their eyes caught each other, but just as quickly as it came, it went. Sam cleared her throat, backing away from him a little before speaking.

"Coming?" The girl said when the door opened as Danny rushed over toward, the elevator and once they were both in the doors close behind them with a ding. This was the beginning of something quite beautiful.

Tucker, who happened to be nearby and had seen the whole exchange, gave off a chuckle. "Lovebirds," he said to himself, before thinking. 'Better start making bets, those two will be together by the end of the year.' The boy thought.

Little did he know just how accurate his prediction was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: yeah, I know short, but yeah, I needed to get the first I review between Danny and Sam, and I through some fluff in there I hoped you like it. About the kiss on the cheek, I hope it was OOC.


	4. The Hunter and the Haunted

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: hey guys, I'm back. I hope you enjoy this one. It's a complete rewrite from my other story; this one is adapted from. I had to rewrite it because I realized the old chapter was a shit show. So, I hope this is better. Yes, I used two quotes get over it. I felt they are both fitting.

Chapter 4: The Hunter and The Haunted 

“Happiness is such an elusive creature, isn't it? We all wish for it, but very few ever really find it.”

~Lex Luthor; Smallville 

“To live is to be haunted.”  
Philip K. Dick, Flow My Tears, the Policeman Said

Overlookers POV

Sam Manson lay awake in her bed. A feat she was all too used to. Most nights, she had a hard time sleeping. She didn't know what kept her up, but she rarely dreamt when she slept. It was like she was dead floating somewhere between this world and the next, and even when she did dream, she rarely remembered, and it would always be strange and borderline acid trippy.

The truth is she didn't really like to sleep. She got more done while she was awake. She didn't really like being in her apartment period. When she was at the Times, she could focus on her writing. When she was out in the field with Danny, she could concentrate on the hunt for the story. That's what she was; she was a hunter. She couldn't rest until she'd found the truth. This made her a great investigative reporter but a terrible sleeper.

If that weren’t enough to keep her awake, the second she was in her apartment, she couldn't hide in her work anymore. She had to face the truth that after everything, she came home to an empty apartment, an empty bed, and overall an empty life. 

As much as she hated large crowds, it was worse when she was alone; when she was alone, the white noise was deafening. She was haunted by the utter emptiness she felt way too often; what an ironic and bitter play on words.

Line break

A sudden chill busted through the room as Sam, who had finally fallen asleep shot up to go check the AC. Getting up, she grabbed her black silk robe that hung on her bed frame and walked over to the AC controller only to come to the realization that the AC wasn't on. She began racking her tired brain for an explanation. Soon she went to a very unsettling one. 

The only time the temperature changed without any rational explanation was when Phantom entered the room. She had come across him somewhat frequently in the 2 months that had passed since their interview. However, there was no way the ghostly hero just broke into her house, so that left one possibility that there was another ghost in her home. 

Her eyes went wide with the realization of the ghost, whoever it was didn’t know what she was capable of. She was smart and cunning. If there was a ghost there, he hadn't attacked yet, which meant he was bidding his time. He was watching her. She couldn't let him know that she knew he was there. Perhaps if she played dumb he'd leave, and when she saw Danny the next day, she could mention it to him, and he could tell Phantom. That sounded like a good as a plan as any she figured.

That plan was quickly dashed as Sam found herself being thrown into her wall, her head banging against the wall hard, blood trickling from a spot in her head. Her vision blurred, and her head throbbed vehemently. The last thing she saw was what seemed to be metal skin and terrifying glowing green eyes before everything went black. 

Line break

Time seemed to blur together as Sam slowly came to. Her head was filled with different memories, all melding together. It was as if her whole life flashed through her eyes. first memories of her lonely childhood, where her grandmother had been her only saving grace. Then it melded into high school and her torrid yet ill-fated love affair with Joe Masters, and then the blur of her life after.

She realized in that moment that her life after joe was a blur. College was a blur. Her whole damn life was a fucking blur, she realized. 

One night stands and far too much whiskey, and nothing… nothing that meant anything. She realized she had nothing that meant anything. Her job met something, her stories of hard hitting truth meant a lot to the people she helped, but what was it all for?

What was the point if she didn’t have a life outside of that. When she ended things with Joe she told herself trying again wasn’t worth the heart ache, and she damn sure didn’t want to end up like her parents, so she figured why bother. 

Now though as she looked at her life as whole she realized she was about to die and she hadn’t really lived. 

A moan escaped her lips, as she reached to put her hand to her head only to realize it was tied to the arm of a chair. Sam was now almost afraid to open her eyes.

Still, she had to. She had to fight. This couldn’t be the end. She wanted a life damn it!

She opened her amethyst eyes, slowly squinting at the light. She looked around her surroundings. It was still nighttime. There wasn't much around her, but she wasn't in her apartment anymore. It looked like she was in the abandoned warehouse district if the cobwebs and crates and boxes long forgotten were any indication.

She inspected her prison further, where was her captor? She looked down momentarily thanking whatever deity that she at least put her robe on over her negligee. She began struggling against her binds only to realize they weren't ropes, they were metal binds binding her to a cold metal chair. Realizing her captor was nowhere in sight, she let a tear slip from her eye. Was this it? Was this how she met her end? 

Suddenly finding her strength…“Hey!" She screamed loud, the sound reverberating through the hollow warehouse. Where was her captor? More importantly, what the hell did he want? Why had he come for her? Why had fate always been such a cruel Bitch? All Sam did know was that she didn't work her ass off through college and the workforce to die in this empty warehouse. She would fight tooth and nail until her last breath. 

"Come out, you coward! Show yourself!" She bellowed involuntary tears slipping out of her eyes. her resolved never wavered. She was going to show him no fear. She would never give it or him or whatever that satisfaction. If she was going die, she’d go out like a blaze of glory.

Suddenly she got her wish... though a part of her wished she hadn't. There, in front of her materialized what she could only describe as a monster. He had a metal suit of some sort, with nuts and bolts sticking out at odd angles, he had glowing green eyes but not beautiful human-looking ones like Danny had, but horrible acid green ones that looked as if they were filled with nothing but malice. His hair, if you could call it, that was flaming green and menacing. In his hand, he held a large sword that glowed the same otherworldly glow.

For a moment neither of them spoke. They sized each other up, and Sam did her damnedest not to show how scared she was. "Well, girl, here I am." The thing said tauntingly. Any fear she had seemed to vanish, in truth, buried it deep. "What do you want!" Sam gritted out. Her heart was racing, but her fear was replaced by anger. How dare this thing kidnap her? Where did he get off? "You are a strange human, most of your kind practice the intelligent art of fear in situations like this." The apparition said, holding the blade in a teasing manner. 

Sam scoffed at this, "well, tough shit, buddy, what the hell do you want!" The girl growled. The spook just laughed as if what she said was a mild annoyance, as if it was laughable that she dared to be angry, he kidnapped her instead of terrified. After the laughter subsided, it said, "you want to know who I am and what I want fine. I am Skulker, the ghost zone's greatest hunter. I am being paid a pretty bounty to hunt down the prince, and for reasons, I can't imagine he seems to have come to fancy you. So that means he'll trade his life for yours." Said Skulker.

Sam took all this information in, as she figured out what to say next. So, this Skulker wanted to use her as bait so his prince would go with him. Who was his prince? Then she remembered Phantom told her he was originally the prince of Zona Temporis. If that was the case, then it means that she was being used as a pawn to lure Phantom into a trap. She didn’t like what that entailed one bit.

"What makes you think he cares about me at all. He saved my life once, and I interviewed him. We met a couple of times after that, but it's not like I know him well. Trust me you are barking up the wrong tree." Sam said, trying to talk some sense into her captor, unfortunately to no avail. 

Skulker laughed again this time at the irony. "You mean more to him than you know girl." Skulker said. At this, Sam decided to try a different approach. "I won't let you. I won't let you take him from the earth. My life means nothing in comparison to him. He is good and kind and pure. He is selfless and risks everything to save New York and the earth asking nothing in return. You can do whatever you want to me but don't hurt him please." The girl said as a few tears slipped. She didn't want to die by any means but she knew the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one.

She hated her selflessness but if it came between her and him it was no contest.  
Phantom was good for the world, and she was more than willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the world. Who would miss her anyway? She had thought. 

Skulker seemed to pause as if he was mulling it over, then he said, "you're right, your life means nothing, but fortunately for you even insignificant insects as you who wish to die as a martyr mean something to him. You mean something to him and he will come for you." He said. Sam didn't know what to say to that. She couldn't counter that if she tried. But she also couldn't let Phantom sacrifice himself for her. What could she do? She looked to where Skulker once towered over her only to see he had vanished once more.

Line break

She heard voices below her. This had to mean she was on the second floor of this old abandoned building. Suddenly her captor this Skulker was blasted through the floor, and Sam could only watch as his back hit the wall. Phantom followed him through the now gaping hole in the story, wasting no time he froze Skulker in his entirety and then blasted him with his ghost ray. Shattering him into pieces, unknown to Danny, the real Skulker was a tiny blob and was still very much alive. The green blob scurried away from the enraged Phantom and slithered back to the ghost zone to regroup.

Danny fell to his knees; a tear had escaped his eye. He had vowed long ago never to use his power to kill only save. It all happened so fast when the ghost told him he had Sam, all Danny could see was red. He flew the fastest he could to come and save her, and when he saw Skulker, he lost it. He let out a scream of pain. He had broken his vow.

He had killed someone, but he did it for Sam, and that made it all worth it. He realized at that moment that he'd through everything away for Sam if it came to that. He took this time to calm his breaths and regroup before turning around to free Sam from her binds. She looked terrified. She had never seen such power and such rage all at once. She didn't know what to make of it. Phantom was a good and nobleman, but he had just killed, someone.

He noticed the terror in her face and recoiled in fear, fear of losing her. That was his biggest fear, far bigger than he would care to admit. She had become his greatest strength and greatest weakness. He wasn't supposed to fall for anyone. He had thought he could come here to live a life and settle down and find a woman but, how could he? 

At this moment, he realized the cruel reality of where he stood. He had put her in danger and they weren't even together. He had made it his sworn duty to protect the earth. She had become the thing he wanted to protect the most. So that meant one thing. They could never be together. She could never know he was Phantom. He would be her friend and her partner, yet nothing more.

He couldn't be selfish; he couldn't endanger her life. He didn't belong in her world. He didn't fit on earth, he never did. He had been fooling himself. His purpose on earth was to protect, to serve, to be a beacon of hope in a hopeless world. He had let something as trivial as emotion cloud his judgment. He had forgotten his duty. He couldn't love her. He wasn't supposed to, but alas, he did a feat he buried in the deepest depths of his heart. 

He had to keep her safe, his heart and his happiness be damned. He could never touch her. 

Sam looked at him strangely as he seemed deep in thought she wasn’t afraid of him. She was just taken aback. Yes, he had killed the ghost but he had been her protector. Could ghost even die she briefly wondered, how did it all work? The bigger question that plagued her mind was why Phantom had reacted so violently. Why did he care so much about her? Or did he? Could ghost feel? She didn’t know, but what she did know was that Phantom was different. He wasn’t like the other ghost. He could feel, and he did feel. He felt a lot. As he gently froze the metal binds and broke them off her and tenderly picked her up bridal style in the most loving manner, she realized he cared far more than he let himself. 

She didn't know how she knew that, but it was like she felt him, like she understood him in a way she didn't recognize herself. She looked up at him as he lifted her in the air, and amethyst eyes met neon green ones, both of their breath hitches in their throat and neither said anything for a moment. 

"Thank you, Phantom," Sam said, softly breaking the silence. Phantom phased them through the and ceiling and out into the cold night. Sam shivered violently in her sheer negligee, and Phantom immediately felt guilty. "I'm just glad you're okay." He said with a sheepish grin that was all too close to Danny's. She found herself smiling back despite the biting air. "I'm fine, I always am." She said, responding confidently. She then realized that he seemed to be flying in the direction of her apartment. How did he know where she lived?

"How do you know where I live?" She inquired, now suspicious. He got sheepish as he flew through the night silent thinking of a way to fix his screw up. 

"Danny mentioned the general direction I don't know exactly where you live." He lied. She could tell he was lying and she decided to push a little. "And how do you know Danny?" She said, trying to feign innocence. She knew there was something odd between them. They knew each other well, but how?

Phantom didn't seem to have any friends or much human interaction; still, whenever Danny called him, he came. What was the deal between these two? Danny got nervous every time she mentioned Phantom and Phantom got nervous every time she inquired about Danny. There was something strange going on between them, and the hunter in her had to know what it was.

Phantom's shiftiness in her inquisition made her fire light up further. "We have a connection," Phantom answered stoically trying not to lead on the truth of the matter. Sam quirked an eyebrow, as phantom neared her apartment. She needed more than that.

"I know that, but how. I feel like I'm wrapped up in something that I don't understand. I just need to know what's going on here. I almost died tonight, one of you must give me something. I don't want to push. I don't want to investigate this, it's your secret whatever it is, but if I'm involved, I need to know something, please," Sam said sternly, but there was a plea behind the decree. Phantom sat her on her balcony once again, not realizing his mistake. 

"I can't tell you, Sam. It's not that I don't want to. It's for your own safety. These ghosts haunt me, and anyone who I get close to anyone who they know I care about they will hurt them just to get to me. I know you have this thing where you want to hunt the truth, but this once I'm asking you not to. I'm asking you not to follow my trail where it leads because it will get you killed, and I won't be responsible for that. Just let it go." He said, and he tried not to hear his heart break. He knew he was giving up the thing he loved the most, but he knew it was for the best. He’d do anything for her. He’d kill, he’d lie, and he’d give her up.

Her eyes softened as she looked up at Phantom who now floated above her balcony. "If you care about me, you can tell me Phantom. You don't have to be strong all the time. You can let someone in. If you want to let me in, I'm here." She said, sensing pain in him; a loneliness she knew all too well. She would never wish that loneliness on anyone, not even her worst enemy.   
  
He looked deep in her eyes, wishing for a second that he could be selfish, but he never could. All he ever wanted was to save the world, except for her. Still, he had to let her go. Tonight had proven that no matter how hard he tried to pretend that he was a normal man, he wasn't, he was a being gifted with tremendous power but also cursed with it. It was a high price to pay for his power, his burden. He used to believe that his power wasn't his burden but rather how he used it. 

Now he knew that was a load. The power was his burden, his curse, and the reason why he could never be happy. He was a ghost. He was Phantom Tempus Prince of Zona Temporis. He was the last son of a dead world. He was cursed to be forever alone, and that would haunt him more than any ghost ever could.

"I do care, but not for the reasons you think. I care about humanity. I believe I was meant to protect the earth, and that includes you. There's no more to it. Danny and I are friends, that's all there is no story here. I saved you because it's who I am and what I do. Goodnight, Ms. Manson." Phantom lied, and his heart broke with every word. He couldn't look her in the eye as he said it, and he couldn't wait around for her response. He said his words and flew away, into the dead of the night, the cold, unforgiving air nipping at him, but he never felt it. His core was cold so it never bothered him. Still, his heart was far less numb and far too broken. 

He had thought he had gotten used to being alone, then she came into his life. "Damn her," he muttered. For the first time he hated being a hero. He hated his internal goodness. He hated his want to save. He hated his heart. He hated being alone. His heart broke as he flew into his apartment and turned back into Danny and got into his empty bed and took in his empty apartment, and cursed his empty life. 

I wish I was cold as stoneThen I wouldn't feel a thingWish I didn't have this heartThen I wouldn't know the sting of the rainI could stand strong and stillWatching you walk awayI wouldn't hurt like thisOr feel so all aloneI wish I was cold as stone

Line break 

Far away in the ghost zone, Clockwork looked over his son through his time window as he watched his life play out. He switched the window to the day he gave up his son and sent him to earth. He watched this image a lot.

He torchers himself with his impossible decision day in and day out. His wife Elizabeth entered the room. Her long blond hair flowing freely and her dress fluttering with grace. The former Queen of the now-dead world was tired and wished her husband to retire to bed. 

She had grown lonely herself with her son gone, and her husband slowly going mad. It was hard not to go mad herself. It was a cruel existence. She and her husband were responsible for the end of their world. All of this was their fault, their pain, and their sons. Still, Elizabeth had to keep her sanity. She had to hope her son would defeat the great threat and bring peace to their people so they could finally pass on. Then perhaps he could find some solace himself.

She hated that their burden fell on their son, but it was a necessary evil.   
“Clockwork must you torcher yourself, day in a day out?" The wife inquired Clockwork barely heard her. He was haunted by the world he had failed, and by the son, he saw only through a window as he watched him call another man father and another woman mother. 

He watched through the window as his son adopted earth as his world and loved the humans as his own.   
He watches as his son torchers himself for them as he bent over backward to be their hero. He watched as his son pretended to be one of them. A mild-mannered reporter at that. He watched as his son drifted further and further from him. He torchers himself for it knowing it was all his fault. His stubbornness and pride had cost a whole world of people their lives. His people. He was a king who had doomed his own people.

The other nobilities knew Armageddon was coming to Zona Temporis, but the mighty king refused to listen. He punished himself always for everything he had done, to everyone who had ever known him. He didn't deserve peace, he thought. He deserved to be damned.

He rarely allowed himself to look away from the window. In his mind, it was his penance. His curse was to watch his son from afar. To watch him be a better man than he could ever hope to be. He had to watch his son be this man because of the man he called father, and that was what killed him the most. 

"Yes," he replied, not bothering to look away from the window. Elizabeth approached him further. She grabbed his arm gently. He wished she would abandoned him. He wished he didn't have such a noble wife. She had lost so much. It was his fault; still, she stood by him, no questions asked.  
He could barely look her in the face when he did all he could see was his own broken reflection is her beautiful blue eyes.

Sometimes she could get him to look at her, though he never really saw her. He hadn’t seen her since the day Zona Temporis died. He had only seen the window. It broke her heart to see her husband this way. She tried to reach him many times over the 25 years it had been since they gave up their son, and their world died. 

Today she was putting her foot down. She couldn’t take it anymore. She couldn’t watch her husband suffer anymore. She had to try to reach him.  
"Clockwork, please, it won't do any good. Our son is gone, and our world is dead. Replaying that day on your window won't change that, nothing can change that. There are certain truths that we must accept. We gave him a chance to live. He is alive, my love." She said as he finally looked at her, his eyes wild and sad.

His cloak cast shadows on his face. “Skulker failed. He was supposed to bring him back to us. He was supposed to begin his training.” He said almost as if he was in a trance. He refused to hear what she was saying. He refused to be comforted. As far as he was concerned, he had no honor. He had destroyed his world and his family, and there was no way he could ever allow himself to be comfortable. 

He stared at her as if she was transparent. He was haunted by the weight of everything he had lost. It weighed him down and buried his heart in the ground.  
"My love listen to me. He has grown to adapt to this world. Earth is his home. Zona Temporis is dead and it-" she began softly, trying to reason with her husband. He snatched his arm away from his wife. A wild, manic look filled his eyes. He leaned over her as he cut her off. "He is our son, and he will return to us. I don't care if I have to send every ghost in the ghost zone. They will not take him from me. He will train, and he will defeat the great threat." The man bellowed. His wife shook in fear, her eyes holding much grief. 

All Clockwork had left, all he would allow himself to have was the hope that their son would return and defeat the great threat and let them all to pass on. If his son couldn't right his wrongs, then he had nothing. He had turned his back on everything else long ago.  
Elizabeth had turned a blind eye. It was easier to believe that he was still the kind and noble king that she had loved since her youth. She couldn't see that he was nothing but a shell a ghost in every sense of the word. Just as he wouldn't allow himself to be at peace, she wouldn't let herself to see the truth of her husband’s descent into madness.

His own brokenness had killed the man she loved long ago.

She has had 25 years to grieve her world and her son, and she had come to find peace in that; she only hung around so her husband could see reason and pass on after the great threat was dealt with. For the first time though she realized her husband was gone, what remained was a shell. 

The shell of a once honorable and noble king whose own guilt and grief had driven him mad. Still, he was her husband. He was her king, and she would stand by his side until the bitter end.  
Clockwork had calmed his self and went back to staring at the window, not even noticing that his wife as retreated to their bedchambers and laid down in an empty bed that she was all to use too. 

Clockwork watched as his son slept, he watched as he tossed and turned in his sleep. His heart Panged for him. He didn’t deserve this. He deserved to be happy. Unfortunately, happiness was a luxury that their family hadn’t been able to afford in quite some time.

"Soon, my son, I will bring you home." The ghost whispered to no one in unparticular.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: so that's that. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. If any of you read the original version of this story, I did a complete rewrite of this story. I hope this is way better. If anyone would like to volunteer to be my beta, please help. I do my best with editing, but I'm not very good. Also I do not own cold as stone by lady antebellum.


	5. Heart of a Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: alright people, I'm back with a new one. And yes, I used two quotes again. I do not own gravity by Sara Bareillies
> 
> Chapter 5: Wishful Thinking
> 
> "You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams."
> 
> Dr. Suess
> 
> "It's like I'm looking from a distance,  
Standing in the background  
Everybody's saying, he's not coming home now,  
This can't be happening to me  
This is just a dream"
> 
> Just a Dream; Carrie Underwood

Over-lookers POV

Today was just another tedious grueling day at work. The raven-haired woman was simply having 'one of those days.' She'd spilled coffee on her favorite dark purple blouse; the scolding beverage slightly tinged the pale flesh hidden underneath. Her friend, Tucker, was in a talkative mood. Every time she tried to leave, he would bring up an entirely new subject that she 'just had to know about'. Now she was annoyed.

To top it all off, nothing major happened all day... Actually, no that isn't what tops it off. That spot belongs to the rain that was falling on Sam's raven hair. The evil rain took away the flat-ironed locks and brought back her Jewish curls. Also, her present from Danny (the Fenton Phones) were getting drenched. Yeah, that does it.

No wait, there also the fact, she walked from her condo, so ergo she had to walk back... In the friggin rain. Yes, that did it for sure.

Sam trudged through the rain, her combat boots clunking with her, she found herself mumbling incoherent curses. Her raven hair soaked with water; as her arms clutch onto her black business jacket, that too was soaking wet.

"Damnit." the girl cursed again, sighing; silently, she wished Phantom would swoop, down, and help her.

Then she hated herself for wishing such a thing. Especially since Phantom had basically been a ghost on her. She laughed bitterly at the irony of that statement. Instead, she thought of a more unrealistic wish and said it aloud just for the hell of it.

Little did she know...

"I wish I had a perfect life!" The girl said before a green, ghost with long raven tresses appeared before her. Taking out a wrist ray Danny had given to her as a parting gift; the girl slapped it on her wrist. She began blasting and sent the ghost a foot back.

But it was already too late, far too late.

Getting bigger, the ghost flew toward Sam, hands stretched and sparkling with pink energy that eventually surrounding Sam. Though Sam struggled and fought all she could, her attempts were futile.

"So, you have wished, so shall it be."

Was the last thing Sam heard before passing out in the rain, though that was the least of her worries.

A beautiful small little cottage straight out of a fairy tale stood alone on a grand grassy hill. Inside, there was the perfect family of three children made from true love of their parents. They lived there; it was their happily ever after. Too bad it was all an illusion...

A small, male dark-haired two-year-old, rushed into the bed of two raven-haired 30-year-olds. He plopped on the bed, waking his parents effectively. The shirtless man, who the boy looked remarkably like, opened his baby blue eyes. His gaze paddling around curiously before they landed on his son. A lopsided grin spread wide across his face as he looked into the vast blue eyes of his only son.

"Hey there, bud," Danny began as he ruffled the boy's hair. The boy giggled loudly before his father, shushed him.

"Shhhh, mommy's sleeping," Danny Fenton replied, pointing a thumb in the direction of the sleeping raven-haired woman; who's slim, fragile body was encased in a dark black and lacy nightgown.

"Ooh sorry, mommy." the little boy whispered in his mother's ear. The woman stirred, but she didn't wake.

"Come on, Reaper." Danny deadpanned as he got out of bed. Grabbing his robe as he walked out of the room, his son in tow.

'What the hell hit me?' Sam thought, looking around the room; she realized she was not in her room, nor her bed. She was about damn tired of waking up in strange places after being knocked out by ghosts. Sitting up, she realized she wasn't wearing her usual clothing either, but rather a sexy black silk nightgown. Okay, maybe she did wear sexy black nightgowns, but this one wasn't hers.

'What the fuck!' the amethyst eyed girl scowled upon seeing her attire.

That was the least of her worry.

Going over to the mirror, the woman found she had aged five years. She didn't know what to think. She didn't look much different but more tired. Rolling her eyes, the woman grabbed a dark purple fuzzy robe, which was conveniently lying on the bed, and turned the doorknob leading to where voices were. She was shocked at what she saw.

It was Danny, gathered around a table with three children, that were the spitting images of the two of them.

"Hey, Sam, your finally up!" Danny said, grinning like the chestier cat as he walked over to a shell-shocked Sam, and gave her a peck on the check. She blushed hard.

"Danny, I um-" she couldn't finish that sentence.

Could she truly say she didn't like him, that way? She didn't know what to do or think. 'What is this?' The girl pondered.

"Are you alright, Sam?" Danny asked concern filled his blue eyes.

"I might need vellum or two, but I um, I'm fine." And indeed, she was.

This was a good life, and she knew it. She also knew that this was the ghost doing, but she couldn't bring herself to care. This world was far better than the one she came from, and besides, it wasn't hurting anybody, to be here... Right?

"I'm glad you're alright," Danny said as he took her delicate hand in his and led her towards the table where the children were. Letting go of her hand, Danny decided to let his wife sit down.

"Good morning, mommy," all three kids said simultaneously.

A chill ran up Sam's spine at the thought of having children. She never thought she would, hell, she'd thought she would end up an old maid. Yet secretly, she absolutely loved and adore kids. The girl supposed she was just a big one herself. She was okay with that. The thought of having children, his children, well, that just was...

There are no words, but it was defiantly good. In fact, everything was okay, like some old 50's cartoon, it was far too convenient, it was very good. Too good to be true, and Sam Manson knew it, but she selfishly again chose to ignore it. She could enjoy that world for a little bit, hell she deserved it.

In the ghost zone, a young-looking woman watched the small happy family through a crystal ball. Her lips curved into a leer as pink energy surrounded her, giving her more power.

"Oh, you foolish human girl." the genie ghost said to herself, her leer growing wider stretching out her green skin.

"Soon... Soon" the ghostly woman rasped.

Hours later found Danny and Sam flipping idly through the TV channels, only to stop at the news.

"Crime rate goes up again, back to you, Tiff-" the reporter began, as Sam scowled.

Almost immediately, Danny noticed turning over to her and place a hand her shoulder in comfort.

"You alright, Sam?" the man asked.

Shaking her head, she carefully chose her words.

"How did we meet?" the girl voiced a serious look in her eyes.

"Sam, seriously, what's wrong? I mean, don't take this the wrong way, but you've been acting funny all day." the blue-eyed man said, running a hand through his unruly raven locks.

"Danny, I'm not your wife. I mean, apparently here I am, but this isn't real I-" Danny felt his heartbreak, he took Sam's words the wrong way.

"You don't love me anymore?" Danny said, his voice barely in a shaky whisper.

"No, Danny, this is an illusion-" Sam began again trying to explain what she knew was happening.

Danny jumped up from his seat in anger. "So, what you've been fucking with me this whole time?! I mean, I've known you forever and-" Danny began his eyes flashing green in anger.

"No, that's just it; I haven't known you forever. Hell, I've known you four months at best. This life: our children, everything is an illusion. Made by me, I was having a bad day and made a wish to have a perfect life. When I woke up, I awoke to this family." The girl finished letting a breath out, after the mouthful.

Danny just started laughing his head off. "Oh, Sam... You got me good..." The blue-eyed man said, in-between laughs until he realized, the woman before him wasn't joking.

"Sam, come on, this shit isn't funny anymore!" the man said a bit annoyed.

"Danny, I'm serious! Why is this so hard for you to believe?"

Danny just chuckled.

"For one, you'd be infected too, you would be convinced of the illusion. And two, no matter what you say, you love me. You love me in this world and the next Sam; you can't deny that." the man finished a bit of a smirk on his face. Sam blushed something furious.

"I'll...um okay. I admit you're a great looking guy; I have an attraction to you, and maybe even feelings. But that's the exact reason why we can't pursue this." The girl said, her head going down, in shame.

Danny lifted her head and pulled her eyes to his, for a moment, the two just lingered there.

"You can't tell me you don't want to kiss me right now." He said softly, moving forward.

"I'd never say that." the girl said as she let a bit of her wall fall; she didn't know what she was doing, but it felt right.

From there, they kissed. It was passionate and exploring; it was the kiss of all kisses. Sadly, oxygen played the villain. Breaking apart the kiss, Danny cupped her cheeks and looked deeply into her amethyst eyes.

"I'm so in love with you, Sam. I don't care where you think you come from or whatever; this is real. I know it! Please stay with me." Sam looked at the floor sadly, knowing she couldn't.

Laying a gentle kiss on his cheek, she simply said, "I wish for things to be the way they were."

She knew they couldn't, though. Now that she admitted to herself that she has a crush on Danny, she'd have to accept it.

She appeared, once again, in the rain with no umbrella. She has bigger problems now, she was left to wonder about that life she had glimpsed.

Was it an illusion or the future?

Something always brings me back to you

It never takes too long

She couldn't afford to think like that. She and love never panned out. It only ended in heartbreak or worse it didn't end and you just made each other miserable just like her parents.

Her parents had to have loved each other once. Although she never saw it. All she saw when they were even there was her mother's drunken rage when she'd catch her father with yet another one of his whores. He'd Bitch about her drinking, she'd bitch about his infidelity. Her mom would drink more, and her dad would spend less and less time at home.

When she was a kid, she remembered her childhood, the window would look out at the street. She idolized her dad at the time and hated her mother. She would wait in the window for hours and hours for her father to come home. Some nights he'd get back around 3am and she'd rush and the stairs and climb on him, and he'd ask her why she was still up. Then he'd carry her to bed and tuck her in. Then other nights he never came home at all, and when the dark sky turned grey, Sam figured it was morning.

Then she'd go to school having no sleep, and her grandmother would drive her while her mother slept off her hangover.

Growing up, she never saw love. She had it once with Joe, but that ship had sailed. Then she realized there were only two ways love ever ended up. People either stayed together or they didn't, but either way, they were miserable.

Either way, the loss of a happy ending was inevitable because they never tell you what happens after the happy ever after, and what happens is the magic fades away. There is nothing left but reality, and reality always disappoints you. Sam had learned that from her parents and from Joe, and she'd be damned if she spent her life becoming her mother.

She thought of this as she power-walked through the rain, her whole body getting soaked as she walked through the cold and harsh rain. What had she been thinking about walking to work? It had been sunny this morning. She cursed global warming for this, whether that couldn't decide if it wanted to be sunny or rainy. The rain chilled her bones. She shivered violently in the cruel pouring rain.

Her thoughts being the only thing barely keeping her mind off of it. She began to think harder. That illusion she had seen. It made her question everything. Where she came from permanent wasn't so stable, where she came from permanent met misery. The illusion was a happy life. The children were delighted, and she could feel the love radiating off of Danny. This was happily ever after. She wanted to be happy. She did. Could this dream have been a sign that she should take a chance on love, or should she just let the dream be what it was?

No matter what I say or do  
I'll still feel you here 'till the moment I'm gone

Reality had never been that kind before. Still, she couldn't help but fool herself. She couldn't help but want to believe that somehow in all the clichés of love that Danny was the one she was met to find. She thought that maybe the magic could last beyond the stroke of midnight.

Shaking her head, she reminded herself that reality had never been that kind to her as she continued to walk through the rain as it almost seemed cliché and symbolic.

You hold me without touch  
You keep me without chains  
I never wanted anything so much than to drown in your love  
And not feel your reign

She just wished she could get him out of her head. She didn't want this man to come into her life and give her hope. She didn't want to believe. She didn't want to hope. Hope was the cruelest trick reality had to offer.

Still, he had her what was a girl to do?

Set me free, leave me be

I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity  
Here I am, and I stand  
So tall, just the way I'm supposed to be  
But you're on to me and all over me

What was a girl to do?

Oh, you loved me 'cause I'm fragile  
When I thought that I was strong  
But you touch me for a little while  
And all my fragile strength is gone

Danny Fenton shot up in bed. His blue eyes lit up in emotions he couldn't yet identify, his jet-black hair messier than usual, and his shirtless body slick with sweat. He had been taking a nap, then he had a dream that Sam and he had been married with three kids. He remembered his burden. Still, with her, all his strength all his resolve walked out the door.

It felt so real. The kiss felt so real. Waking up next to her felt so right. Could he have that? Could he let himself go there? Could he really get involved with her? Maybe if he was careful. If he was meticulous. He could escape his burden and get to have what his parents have. He was tired of the loneliness in his life. For the moments in that dream, he felt at home.

Set me free, leave me be  
I don't want to fall another moment into your gravity

He loved his family. He loved Amity Park, but home was a person a person no matter where you were, you would be home.

He had never been home. He had loved a woman once, and they were good together when they were good. However, when they were bad, it was unbearable. The bad times got more and more as they realized they were too different and other factors came into play. Still, he had never felt home with her.

What was he to do? Could he really get involved with Sam without telling her the truth? Then again, he couldn't tell her the truth, not yet. He had never told anyone except for Valerie, but that was different he was forced to tell her.

Here I am, and I stand so tall, just the way I'm supposed to be  
But you're on to me and all over me

Still, it was like he couldn't help it. He needed her. He craved her. The more time he spent with her, the more he fell at her feet.

I live here on my knees as I try to make you see

That you're everything I think I need here on the ground

What was he supposed to do? He had almost god-like powers, but beneath it all, he was just a man. He was a man who loved a woman. He was a man who wanted a home. He wanted to feel his feet on solid ground. As he walked next to her as her partner, his feet were on the ground.

As he fell deeper and deeper into her world, logic went out the window. The fact that he was likely to get her killed went out the window. All he could see was her. It was excruciating. It was exhausting. Why the hell did it have to be so damn beautiful? Why the hell did she have to fit so well next to him? Why the hell couldn't he just stop himself?

But you're neither friend nor foe though I can't seem to let you go  
The one thing that I still know is that you're keeping me down

He was supposed to save people. He was supposed to be a hero. He was supposed to protect the earth. He came here to live a life. He came here to find home. He must've forgotten for a second that he couldn't rest. He had to save everyone he could. When he was with her, he felt as if just for a second, he could be human. He could be just a man. He could be just a mild-mannered reporter. But alas, he wasn't just a man. He had a duty to the earth.

Still with her, everything went out the window.

You're keeping me down, eh ooh  
You're on to me, on to me, and all over

Who's to even say she felt the same way. What if he was fooling himself. What if the dream had been just that. What if he was falling down a black hole never to come out again. Even if she did love Danny Fenton, could she accept him has Phantom? Could she accept him as an alien? Could she forgive him for the lies he had to tell? These were the very lies that had torn apart his last relationship, and he never really bothered after that.

All he knew is if he made this decision, he had to do it right. He had to be sure. He had to wait. No matter how it killed him, he couldn't pursue her... yet.

Something always brings me back to you  
It never takes too long

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: so this was kind of a filler chapter, but it moves the plot along in some ways. I hope you liked it. I do not own gravity by Sara Barelillies


	6. Interlude One: Amity Park

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: so another rewrite for this chapter. I keep looking at the original version of this story and wondering what the actual fuck I was thinking. The whole original version of this chapter was a shit show. Anyway this chapter is our first interlude.
> 
> Chapter 6: interlude 1- amity Park
> 
> "What is family? They were the people who claimed you. In good, in bad, in parts or in whole, they were the ones who showed up, who stayed in there, regardless. It wasn't just about blood relations or shared chromosomes, but something wider, bigger. We had many families over time. Our family of origin, the family we created, and the groups you moved through while all of this was happening: friends, lovers, sometimes even strangers. None of them perfect, and we couldn't expect them to be. You can't make any one person your world. The trick was to take what each could give you and build your world from it."
> 
> ~Sarah Dessen, Lock and Key

Overlookers POV

Amity Park 1981

Jack and Maddie Fenton were the town crazies. They had studied paranormal studies at Wisconsin university before coming back home to Amity Park. They tried to prove the existence of ghost but that only got them labeled as nut jobs. They couldn't prove that they existed. They'd never seen one. So they gave up. Alone and ostracized from the other denizens of the town. They decided for the sake of their daughter they'd conform. They'd be farmers like the rest of them. They'd be a nice little suburban family with two kids, a boy and a girl. Of course, fate hadn't been that kind to them. Their daughter was now four years old and still, there was no new baby. They just couldn't conceive a second time no matter how hard they tried.

Currently, jack and Maddie were riding around in their pick-up truck little jazz in the backseat. It was a beautiful quiet night in the quaint little town. That was until everything changed their lives forever. Suddenly seemingly out of nowhere, what looked like a comet shot from the sky. It crashed right on their property, almost as if it was meant to. Jack pulled over and got out of the car to check it out. "Stay here I'll go check it out." Said the rather large man, but his wife simply huffed and undid her seatbelt. "And let you have all the fun?" The woman said with a smirk as she hopped out the car. The young couple hurriedly walked to see the comet. Only to find out it was nothing of the sort.

It was some sort of device, which should have been burnt to a crisp, but it was without a scratch. It looked otherworldly. It looked like what could only be described as a tiny ship. Suddenly from inside the craft, violent cries from what sounded like a toddler erupted. Any fear of the unknown, the parents had vanished and the whines of the child.

They didn't know how to open the ship. Maddie fell to her knees and instantly began prying around the foreign ship to try and open it. Her eyes were tearing up as she listened to this poor child cry. It was the most horrible thing she'd ever heard. He was in complete and utter pain. She could tell he was terrified. Desperately she clawed at the device silently praying to whatever deity that it would open.

As if her prayers were answered the top of the ship flew open, revealing the young boy who looked just as otherworldly as his craft. He had skin as pale as snow and hair that was the whitest white she'd ever seen. His eyes were neon, green, and glowing. None of this mattered to the mother. Right now, all she saw was a child who was all alone, shaking, crying, and scared. She had to comfort him. She wrapped him in her arms and rubbed circles in his back. The child didn't struggle. He just snuggled into her embrace.

Suddenly a flash of light engulfed the child, and his look completely changed. His Snow-White hair became pitch black. His pale skin came to normal peach color, and his glowing green eyes dulled to a vibrant ice blue. Maddie looked at the child in shock. He cooed and made unintelligible sounds. He giggled and snuggled into her embrace. Maddie couldn't help but smile. Jack had been watching the scene on the floor next to his wife and gave the child a good look.

She smiled at the toddler and said, "so what'll we call him?" said Jack Maddie ignoring her husband looked at the child, considering all the factors. Could they really keep this foreign child, this alien? How would they enroll him in school? How would they explain where he had come from? It was all too crazy. They were already looked at with scrutiny in the small town. What would people say? Then she began to think of the alternative. She began to think of the child all alone with no one to guide him. The thought of that was one the woman couldn't bear. They'd figure out the mechanics later. She had to keep him.

"Hmmm, what shall we call you?" The woman asked, looking at the now smiling child. "Dante, Derek, David no Daniel ... Danny James Fenton." The woman processed, looking to jack for approval. Jack just grabbed the child from his wife and stood up, spinning him around. "Danny boy" jack said enthusiastically. His wife stood up in tow, and the two carried their son back to the truck, and Jack showed him to Jazz.

"Say hi to your little brother Jazzy pants," the man boomed as he sat the toddler next to the little girl, and he crawled over to her and snuggled close to her. "Hi, little brother," said the 4-year-old. She was an early talker and very intelligent for her age. She didn't really understand where the boy had come from, but as she looked down on something so innocent and precious, she knew she'd protect her new little brother until the bitter end.

Just like that the Fenton's were complete, the consequences be damned.

Two weeks later

Jack and Maddie Fenton were desperate. They would have never called their creepy college friend otherwise. They needed someone underhanded and slick with a lot of money to get an adoption record for Danny. Vlad was their only option.

Of course, he flew down to Ohio and took a limo to their farmhouse to deliver the papers personally. Jack idolized the man, but Maddie knew he was probably the biggest asshole on the planet. The man had been the best man in their wedding and had hit on Maddie the night before.

It wasn't just that it was the way he did it. The disturbing look of obsession in his eyes. Even as a 9th-degree black belt, she was terrified. Of course, she never told her husband. He probably would have killed the man. Jack may be a simple man, but when someone he loved was disrespected or threatened, he could be very hardcore.

Thankfully Jack and Vlad had drifted apart over the years since college. Still, he came when they called, and despite everything, Maddie couldn't help but be grateful.

There was a sound knock at the door. Jack rushed to the door as fast as his feet could carry him. He swung the door open and engulfed his "best friend" in a much-unwarranted hug.

Jack let him go failing to notice the business mogul struggling to breathe. Vlad straightened himself and stepped himself into their humble house. "Jack, so nice to see how well you're doing for yourself." The man said sinisterly of course jack didn't get the sarcasm.

"Thanks, v-man means a lot coming from you," Jack said lightheartedly. Vlad laughed slyly. He turned his attention to the woman who had spurned his affections. He hoped she regretted it. He hoped she'd come to see how much he loved her. How much he always had. He hadn't met Jack and Maddie in college. His father had done a lot of business in amity Park and he'd always drag him along. She was the only thing that made coming to this back-water town bearable. He had liked Jack once, but he loved Maddie. Maddie was the only thing he loved. Maddie was his humanity. She was the only thing keeping him from being a sociopath.

Her beauty was still as gracious as ever. She was the only one who he would do a favor for at the drop of a hat. Why couldn't she see how much he loved her.

"Maddie. Still, as ravishing as ever I see." He said, pulling her into a nonconsensual hug and kissing her cheek. Maddie jerked away from his touch. "I see you haven't changed as well." Maddie spat. Vlad just laughed Maddie off. He pulled out a Manila envelope.

"Adoption papers, birth certificate and medical records, expertly forged the president wouldn't know the difference." The man said cockiness radiating from his pores as he handed the envelope to Maddie. She watched him with suspicious eyes.

"How can we ever repay you?" The woman said almost sarcastic though he had done her a favor. She knew this wasn't free. He wanted something, and he would come to collect. Vlad waved her off.

"Oh pish posh, what's a few million dollars between my dearest friends. All I require is simply one night in your guest room. I do so hate turn around trips." The man said feigning innocence, though Maddie didn't buy it. She still obliged. The old friends spent the night drinking, and they and Vlad retired to their respective rooms. In the morning, when they awoke with hangovers, Vlad was gone, along with a lock of Maddie Fenton's hair, for some nefarious purpose yet to be revealed.

1994

15-year-old Danny Fenton gazed from his window in the Fenton barn at the farm next door. Danny had always been fascinated by what was beyond the stars. He knew he was from somewhere out there. He liked to gaze at the stars picturing himself drifting among them.

His parents had bought him the telescope the Christmas before and ever since he had gazed at the stars, and sometimes he stared at the Grey farm next door. He had a crush on Valerie Grey, not that she even knew he existed. If she did, she knew him as the awkward freak from school who sat alone at lunch.

It was ironic, really. The two things he wanted to see and feel up close he could only gaze at from far away. The stars, much like Valerie Grey were far too elusive ever to have up-close, and fate had never been that kind.

Everything changed when Danny got assigned to play parent with Valerie. They were assigned partners on a project to be parents to a flour sack. Danny was thrilled, that was until Valerie thought of the grand idea to push the entire project on Danny. He may have liked her, but he was no sap. He wasn't going to take this lying down.

He marched right over next door and banged. "Valerie opens up I know you're in there." The fifteen-year-old bellowed. A shuffling was heard before the door flung open. There stood Valerie dressed for work at the nasty burger the locals hang out. Danny was shocked. He always thought her family had money. The grey farm danced circles around the Fenton farm, and she always carried herself at school as if she came from money.

Looks must be very deceiving, he thought.

"Are you gonna stand there gawking Fenton, or are you going to come in?" She asked, annoyed as Danny just stood there in thought. "I um I'm going to give you a piece of my mind." The boy said, puffing his chest out, trying to sound brave. He was really just terrified. He was always terrified. He was scared that he'd end up alone, scared that someone would find out about his secret, but at the same time scared of always having to hide.

He didn't want to be afraid anymore. He stepped up to her so close that their faces were almost touching, and they were both breathless. With their faces inches away, he pushed himself into her house. Once inside with the same intensity, he said, "listen to me, and you listen good. I like you a lot. But if you think for a second, you're going to sit on your happy ass while I do all the work you're sorely mistaken." Valerie didn't know what it was, the way he talked back to her or the passion in his eyes when he said he liked her, but she couldn't take another second of it. Everything she knew was damned. She found herself fiercely kissing Danny Fenton.

After they're cumbersome make out session that almost led elsewhere more than a few times, the two breathless teens were at a loss for words. I mean just a week ago Danny Fenton was the awkward loser who sat alone at lunch, now he was a hot, slightly less awkward teenager who she just made out with. She was perplexed. He however was on cloud 9. His first kiss had turned into a make-out session where he had actually felt boobs. He didn't think anything could ever bring him down again. For the first time in his life, he didn't feel so alone.

Though he cautioned himself to be wary because nothing ever stayed good in his life for long.

1996

One more kiss could be the best thing.

Two years later had found the pair of 17-year-olds still together but on very shaky ground. It seemed like these days, they always fought. It was as if he couldn't win for losing or lose for winning. Why did that even surprise he had never really won in life.

They fought a lot because he could never tell her the truth about his powers and why he always seemed to be disappearing at the most inopportune times. He had to litter her with lies.

But one more lie could be the worst  
And all these thoughts are never resting  
And you're not something I deserve

She deserved better than being lied to, but he couldn't exactly tell her the truth now that he had been lying to her for so long. They had lain together and made love. She had given her virginity to him. He couldn't tell her now what he was. What if she rejected him. He didn't know this before he began things with her, and if he did, he would have never touched her. When his ship landed, meteors came with it, and one of those meteors stuck Adeline Grey in the head, killing her instantly. He had murdered Valerie's mom. He had shot her down and called her crazy when she considered a theory that a ship had crashed that night, that an alien had walked among them in Amity Park. He had thrown her off his trail, instead of telling her the truth. Fate was a cold bitch; sometimes Danny felt he was no better.

In my head there's only you now

This world falls on me

Still he loved her. His burden still remained he had to do his duty to protect earth with the powers he'd been gifted but each time he did, he risked her finding out and losing the only person outside his family he really had.

In this world there's real and make believe  
And this seems real to me

They had something they did. They loved each other though, as time wore on it didn't seem built to last. It seemed as if everything was pulling them apart. It seemed as if everything was pulling them in different directions.

Still, he loved her, and she loved him and wasn't it supposed to be that simple. If it weren't for his duty getting in the way he and she could be happy together. No, if it weren't for him being an alien, they could've been happy together. He cursed what he was.

And you love me but you don't know who I am  
So let me go  
Let me go

It wasn't fair to her. Even if he was going to lose her, he had to tell her the truth. He had to have her one last time. He had to memorize every part of her body.

Needless to say, the next morning a volcano erupted.

She had woken next to him, and he stood up and confessed not strong enough to look her in the eye. She had walked over and slapped him hard across the face.

"You lying bastard!" She screamed, her face contorted in a fury. He tried to calm her down to no avail; she was unhinged. "You wanna know what the worst part is? It's not that your ship caused the meteors shower that killed my mom. It's not that you are an alien because I would have accepted all that had you just told me the damn truth. At every turn, you lied. You told lies to cover up the other lies, and what's worse, you made me feel crazy! I came to you! I figured it out, and you shot me down when you knew the truth. I thought I had found the one last honest, decent guy, who believed in truth. You're just like all the rest of them. You're a liar." She bellowed as tears flew down her face, he saw the impact of what he'd done. He had broken her heart. She never cried, but now her tears flew free as she gathered her clothes. He just stared desperately trying to think of something to say, trying to salve some semblance of what they once had.

All he could think of to say was, "Val, please, don't leave me here alone." The boy said as a tear slipped down his cheek. She turned back to look at him last time with sad, hollow eyes. "What did you expect? You come into my life break down my walls then rip my heart out, after making love to me. What do you what me to say? Do you want me to pity you when you are the one you did this?" She said, her voice betraying her. Her heart was broken.

"I just … I know what I deserve, but please. You love me I know you do we can fix this. I will… I'll do whatever you want … whatever it takes to make things right, just don't walk out on me. Please." Danny begged as tears flew from his eyes. She looked at him pitilessly and simply said. "I know you think you're a hero, Danny, but you're not. You broke my heart, and there is nothing left to save." Before turning tail and walking out of his room out of his house and out of his life. She left him standing there alone.

He should have known, that fate would dangle the possibility of him not being alone only to have him lose it in the cruelest way.

Senior year was a bitch. He had to see her every day at school being so close yet so far away, knowing she was right. He had done this. He had told lie after lie to protect himself and there was nothing he could do to make up for it. Whatever they had, he had tainted it beyond all repair.

I dream ahead to what I hope for

And I turn my back on loving you  
How can this love be a good thing  
When I know what I'm goin' through

He realized that he had to move on with his life. He couldn't live in this emotional turmoil anymore. In the spring of 1997 Danny Fenton had graduated from Casper high at 18 years old. By the summer of that same year he had left town.

In my head there's only you now  
This world falls on me  
In this world there's real and make believe  
And this seems real to me

Danny thought back to when things were as simple as gazing at her through his long-forgotten telescope before everything became so complicated, what he wouldn't give for that innocence back. But alas, he had a job to do and now even though he still loved her even though some part of him always would. He had to let her go.

You love me but you don't know who I am  
I'm torn between this life I lead and where I stand  
And you love me but you don't know who I am  
So let me go  
Let me go

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: so still a dxs story though now we have a little backstory on Danny and his life in Amity Park. I hope you all enjoyed it.


	7. Heart of a Dragon

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: omg I know it's been a while, but you guys will love this chapter… I hope.
> 
> "There are no heroes...in life, the monsters win."
> 
> George R. R. Martin
> 
> Chapter 7: Heart of a Dragon

Overlooker's pov

"Fenton! Manson! Get your asses in here," called Petey as he poked his red-faced head out of his office. Danny and Sam hurriedly rushed towards Petey's to see what their boss wanted. Once inside and Danny closed the door behind them, Petey began to tell his top investigative reporters what he wanted.

"I think there's a big story behind Dora Mattingly. She claims to be a billionaire philanthropist but, why have we never heard anything from her until now? it's like the woman just popped up overnight, and I want to know what hole she crawled out of and what her intentions really are!" Petey said, getting both reporter's attention.

Sam, of course, being her opinionated self, had objections. "Petey, with all due respect, what about Vlad. I mean, we're so close to uncovering what he's really-" Petey knew where this was going. It had been Sam's mission to uncover the truth about Vlad for years, but people expected a story every day, and if she had nothing new on Vlad, so it was just going to have to wait.

"Sam, you're one of the most stubborn people I've ever met in my life. It's what makes you such a damn good reporter, but this is a paper I'm running here! So until I have a solid story about the creep, you have to focus on other things." Petey said Sam had opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, Petey pinched the bridge of his nose and began to speak again this time a bit calmer.

"I know you'll get him, but please, Sam, just this once go with the flow and do what I ask." Finished the editor in chief. Sam sighed but knew she had no rebuttal.

"fine," Sam said through somewhat gritted teeth though she tried to hide her frustration a little. Without another word, she grabbed Danny by the hand and all but drug him out of the office.

A couple minutes later found the couple in Sam's car on their way to Aragon Industries. They were currently at a red light, and Sam tapped her fingers on her wheel to the beat of the music.

The light changed as Danny spoke. "so what's the plan for how we're going to talk to Mattingly?" Sam turned down her music and gave off a hearty laugh. "Oh yeah, Danny, we're just going to waltz right in there and play good cop, bad cop with her."

The woman deadpanned. She couldn't believe her partner was serious. "oh my simple naïve friend, we're not going to talk to her. We're going to break into her office and let her computer do the talking." Sam said with a mischievous smirk. Danny's eyes grew wide as dinner plates. "Sam, that's illegal!"

Sam laughed harder this time again. "I don't know how they do things in nowheresville U.S.A., but here in the big apple, we do things a little differently." Danny couldn't help but be slightly intrigued but still profoundly unsettled by the idea. "you must think I'm some small-minded farm boy, huh?" Danny said sheepishly as he turned to blush, embarrassed.

Sam gave him a small smile as she parked her car. "no, I think you're the most Clark Kent like person I've ever meant. I mean, you're so law and order. The only thing you need is to have a dual identity." Sam said jokingly as Danny became extremely nervous.

Sensing his fear, Sam grabbed his hand in comfort. "hey, relax, okay. We'll be in and out." Sam said as she let go of his hand and hopped out of the car. Danny followed suit, somehow knowing that there was no way things could go so smoothly. Nothing in his life had ever been easy, why should it start now?

"Follow my lead," Sam said as they neared the building entrance, where two members of the janitorial staff were taking a smoke break. Sam waltzed over to them.

" I'll give a thousand dollars apiece if I can get your uniforms and staff passes for an hour." Said Sam, as Danny stood there, shell shocked, and the two workers mulled over the idea. Both the workers looked at each other and shrugged, then of them said, "make it 2,000 apiece, and you got yourself a deal." Without even thinking, Sam pulled out her checkbook and wrote the two checks two of the men after acquiring their names.

"the hour starts in five minutes after we've had time to change," Sam said, running behind the building to change. Danny couldn't help but follow. He had finally found his words.

"Okay, where did you get 4,000 dollars to spare like that?" Danny said, still in partial shock. "did I forget to mention that my parents are filthy rich? They send me 100,000 dollars every month. I only use it for stuff like this." Sam said nonchalantly as she applied a smirk to her face. She couldn't help it. She enjoyed getting a rise out of her partner.

"Okay, I have so many questions." Said Danny finally allowing himself to smile. Just when he thought he knew everything about her there, she went and shocked him.

"another time, right now, turn back to back, and let's change… and no peeking." Sam finished her smirk even more prominent now. Needless to say, Danny was blushing up and storm as he changed, and it took every ounce of self-control not to take a peek. More and more, he was resenting his burden.

If she kept this up, he was bound to throw away everything he stood for and give in.

A couple minutes later found the partners successfully in Dora's office. Tucker had given Sam a device that she could connect to the computer, and it would hack into it. Tucker was always inventing things that could be useful to Sam, and she often wondered why he was working as a rookie photographer when he could be a successful entrepreneur. Of course, selfishly, she was glad he worked at the times.

He was the closest thing she had to a best friend. Shaking her head of these thoughts, Sam refocused on the computer and began going through Dora's files.

Danny, who was supposed to be watching the door, was distracted by the turmoil in his mind. He couldn't stop thinking about that dream. He and Sam were happy he wasn't alone anymore. Could he really have that?

Suddenly the halfa was burst out of his thoughts by the door opening, and the light is turned on. The pair had no time to hide. They were for lack of a better term well… fucked.

The face of Dora Mattingly herself stared in rage at the two of them. "wait a go nowheresville," Sam mumbled under her breath as she cut her eyes at her partner. Danny hung his head. He had failed now Sam, and he was in a world of trouble.

"my brother, he sent the two of you, didn't he?" came the British rage-filled voice of Dora. Sam quickly took note of the fear in her eyes at the mention of her brother. What was she so afraid of? She had caught them in her office. They should be the ones afraid.

Yet still, it was Dora who held fear in her eyes. It was more than that though it was the look of a caged animal, or rather the look of a caged animal who had gained freedom and was in fear of losing that freedom.

There was a story there, and Sam knew it. Sam put her hands up in surrender. "wait your brother didn't send us, we're reporters we-" Sam began, but Dora wouldn't allow her to finish. The look in Dora's eyes grew mad. "lies!" she bellowed.

Her amulet began to glow, and her pupils changed into snake-like eyes, her skin changed into a terrifying blue. Then her arms and legs began to transform. Soon enough, there stood before them bursting through the ceiling was a dragon.

The only semblance of Dora left behind was the necklace that the dragon was wearing. The amulet had somehow transformed the philanthropist into a dragon. Before Danny and Sam, could mull this over the dragon grabbed Sam and flew through the hole in the ceiling and out into the night sky.

The people on the ground screamed in terror of the horrible beast as Danny quickly changed into his phantom form and flew to rescue Sam.

"break into the office, she said, it will be easy, she said." Danny deadpanned as he flew after the women he never could stop chasing, much like a dog chasing his own tail. He would always be running after something he could never attain. And even if he did reach it, it wouldn't be something he could keep.

He'd either get her killed, or he'd lose her just as he'd lost Valerie. That was his burden. He had all the power in the world, but it couldn't bring him the one thing that kept eluding him: happiness. Yes, the most powerful man on planet earth was powerless when it came to conquering the persistent villain of his own overshadowing loneliness.

The comics he read as a kid were lies. The hero doesn't get the girl, and sometimes the monsters win, but 'not tonight' thought Danny as he flew at full speed to save his would-be girl.

Meanwhile, in the arms of the beast, Sam remembered the fear she saw before her transformation. Dora wasn't the beast she appeared to be. She was scared, and she needed help. Ghost or not, Sam knew what she had to do.

"Dora, listen to me. I know you're in there, and I know you're scared. You don't have to live in fear; I can help." Sam said, still perched in the claws of the dragon. Dora's eyes softened as if she were ready to calm down and listen, but before she had the chance, a powerful ghost ray hit her back.

"hey scaly, why don't you put the nice reporter down and explain yourself!" still reeling from the blast to her back, Dora's anger quickly returned. "YOU WILL NOT TAKE ME TO ARAGON!" the dragon bellowed in an otherworldly yet still British voice. She squeezed Sam tighter, some of her claws digging into Sam's side. Sam let out a whimper but bit the pain away.

She had to stop Phantom from further angering her. The last thing she needed was for the two of them to needlessly fight, especially while she was in Dora's claw.

"Phantom, she doesn't want to fight. She's scared.!" Sam screamed so Phantom could hear her over the screams below. But the stubborn ghost shook his head.

"Sam, this is my area of expertise, I fight ghost. It's what I do." Danny said back even though he was making no move to continue in the fight and neither did Dora. Her and Phantom just stared each other down as Sam spoke.

"there's another way. Before she transformed, I looked in her eyes, and I saw fear. She's not like the other's she, not some inhuman monster. She a girl who is running from one." Sam said, staring up at Danny before her, and Danny's eye's softened, and so did Dora's her body slowly began reverting to the human-looking Dora, as both she and Sam began to fall from the sky. Flying his fastest Danny rushed and saved Sam then went for Dora.

Once having both girls in his arms, he opted for flying the back into Aragon industries. He may not be fighting Dora, and maybe Sam's right; perhaps she was on the up and up, but that didn't mean he didn't owe them both an explanation.

He sat the now human-looking Dora in her office desk chair and set Sam gently on the floor. Phantom stared down Dora for a moment before speaking. In all the rush before turning into a dragon, this was the first time he noticed her human appearance. To his surprise, she looked human. She didn't have discolored skin or hair, or even eyes like some malevolent ghost did.

Instead, she had beautiful blond hair and pretty blue eyes much like his own in human form, and her skin was a beautiful peachy tone she wasn't pale, but she wasn't tan either. Under different circumstances, Danny might refer to her as quite attractive.

This whole ordeal didn't make any sense. Never had he meant a ghost-like Dora Mattingly if that was even her real name. "I'm not going to send you back to the ghost zone like the others, at least not yet, but I need answers to my questions." The fear was back in Dora's eyes but for a different reason.

She may not have heard of Danny Fenton New York Times' top investigative reporter, but she surely knew of Danny Phantom, the ghost who took it upon himself to take other spirits and send them back from whence they came.

Now she was afraid of him. She was fearful of losing her newfound freedom and life that she had built for herself on earth. She knew running was futile. He was a hunter and hunters always got their prey. Her only chance was to answer all of his questions and hope he would let her keep her life.

Her eyes grew sad; after all these years, her life was under the control of yet another man. She only gave off a nod in response to Phantom's request. All the strength she had found suddenly was drained out of her, and she was that same terrified little girl from a life she knew long ago.

"First, how do you look human." Dora pointed to an unmistakable sizeable green ring on her delicate finger. "it's an image inducer. It affects the human retina; it makes me look human to humans. that begs the question why it works on you." Dora said the last bit with a little smirk on her face at her attempt at a red herring. Phantom got nervous. Dora knew what he was. She knew he was part human. But she couldn't let her get the better of him. If there was one thing he learned from Sam. it was to never let anyone distract from getting a story.

"I'm asking the questions here," Phantom said sternly. Dora suddenly found her power. She wasn't going to be intimated by this child before her. He may not be a child anymore, but he was to her. She remembered the day his parents put him in the ship that sent him to earth.

She knew more about his past than even he did. Right now, his past wasn't her concern; her future was. She hoped she could make an ally out of Phantom Tempus because if she couldn't, her fate was sealed.

"you want to know who I am and where I come from and what I'm doing here, well fine. Much like you, I come from the dead world of Zona Temporis. As you know, the King Clockwork Tempus and Queen Elisabeth Tempus Ruled our land. However, as you may not know, there were other houses of nobility. My house was Called the house of Aragon, and I was princess Dorathea of Aragon." Dora said as Phantom took a moment to take it in. For a second, he realized there was a whole civilization of people now more or less reduced to soulless monsters.

He briefly wondered what it had been like there. What it would have been like to not be the sole alien in a world full of humans, but a prince to a thriving kingdom, instead of a mild-mannered reporter? Would happiness have been so elusive in this other world? Would he have been friends with some of the ghosts he fought?

There was a whole nother world, a whole nother life he knew nothing about. There was a whole nother life he would never know anything about.

He snapped his mind back to the present. He couldn't afford to think about such trivial things. He wasn't in that other world or life. This was the hand that fate had dealt him, and he had to play it.

"Why aren't you like the other's?" Danny asked, and Dora paused for a moment as if mulling over her answer. Finally, she spoke. "that I cannot answer. I can tell you this: my brother, the prince, raised me after our parents' death, much to his chagrin. I don't know what made him so rotten or for lack of a better term evil, but he was as long and as I knew him and as long as I can remember. I was a princess, yes, but in that tower, with a brother who hated me, I might as well have been a prisoner. I couldn't do anything or go anywhere. I was ruled under the thumb of my tyrant brother. When the planet died, Aragon and I were separated I don't even know if he passed or still roams. If I had to guess I'd say the reason I'm not like the others is that, after my death, I got a real chance at life. A life without Aragon, a life where I had a chance at happiness." Dora finished.

As both Danny and Sam's heart broke for Dora. Before Danny had a chance to reply, Sam finally said something. "why are you still afraid if you don't even know if Aragon is around anymore? If he hasn't come for you in the 25 years since your planet died, chances are he probably won't even if he is still around. It seems like to me, you're a prisoner to your past in this life just as you were a prisoner of Aragon's in your old life. How many more years are you going to let Aragon take from you?" Sam finished leaving Dora deep in thought.

Something waved over Dora's face as if they were the exact words she needed to hear to let go of Aragon and finally find peace.

She wasn't ready for peace. She wanted to live a little longer first. "You're right; it's about time I stopped looking over my shoulder for a monster that's never going to come." Dora started she took a deep breath as she removed her necklace for the first time in her entire life. The weight it held going with it.

For the first time in her life, she felt free. Tears of relief left her eyes. She handed the necklace to Phantom before she began to speak once more.

"I always wore this amulet back then because whenever my brother was in a mood, he'd take every bit of his anger out on me. It would hurt less when I was in my dragon form. I kept it on all these years in case he ever came back, so I'd be able to defend myself. It's time I let myself accept the truth that Aragon is gone, and I am finally free." The girl finished as more tears flowed freely from her eyes.

Danny was happy for her but slightly confused. "why give me the amulet?" Dora simply said, "I don't need it anymore. And I fear if I kept it, it might fall into the wrong hands, and I know you will prevent that." Dora explained, and Danny nodded.

"I will protect this amulet, I promise. And if you ever need anything. You have a friend in me." Said Danny as Sam chimed in. "and me," said Sam as Dora smiled and pulled both her newfound friends into a hug much to Sam's chagrin though she allowed it.

Breaking free from the hug, Sam finally realized that Danny was missing. Her eyes grew wide with worry. "don't worry, Sam, who do you think told me to come to save you. Danny left the building to call me and couldn't get back in, so he's waiting for you outside." Sam looked at Phantom suspiciously but decided not to press. Waving Phantom off, Sam turning to Dora and said, "Listen, I want you to know, that no one has to know you're a ghost. I'll write a puff piece about how you're a great philanthropist." Said Sam shocking all present company.

"you'd do that for me?" Dora asked Sam, nodded, and said, "everyone is entitled to their secrets as long as they're not hurting anyone. If today taught me anything, it's that." Sam finished as she gave Phantom a wink before he decided to fly the coup.

"We should hang out sometime." Said Sam as she turned to leave the office, go find Danny. Dora smiled and said, " I'll pencil you in." just as Sam left the office.

Sure enough, just as Phantom said, Danny was waiting outside and had already returned the janitor's costume. A couple of minutes later found Sam and Danny in the car both back in their own clothes.

"I don't know if your buddy phantom got the word to you, but I've decided to stop fishing for whatever secret it Is the two of you have," Sam said, breaking the silence as she drove through the traffic-filled street.

Danny gave her a look of curiosity. "why the change of heart?" Danny pondered aloud though he knew he shouldn't be looking a gift horse in the mouth he had to know. "well today taught me that there are reasons why people keep secrets, and I know if I keep prying I'm just gonna run you off, and that's the last thing I wanna do. You're important to me." Sam said as she blushed extremely hard.

"for what it's worth your important to me too, and you could never run me off." Said Danny as he grabbed her hand. He knew he shouldn't he knew he wasn't supposed to, but why the hell did her hand in his have to feel so right?

Hours later, back in Dora's off, a knock at her door sounded. Assuming it was her secretary, she leaned back in her chair and said, "what is it, Tina?" after the day she'd had, she really didn't want to be disturbed. She wanted to go home, have a drink, and maybe join a dating website.

The door slowly crept open. The hallway was dark so she couldn't see who was coming in, there was an eerie feeling she got as the door got further and further open.

She heard the voice before she truly saw who was emerging from the shadow's for a second, her heart sped up. It couldn't be, not after all this time. There was no way it was.

"Mrs. Mattingly, how lovely to see you here so late." Said Vlad as he announced himself. Her eyes widened. Never had she met Vlad, but she had heard tale of the type of man he was and wondered what he could want from her, especially at this hour.

Something was off about him. There was something sinister in his eyes, and this time she had no amulet to protect herself. She had nothing to defend herself. She was utterly at the mercy of Vlad masters and whatever nefarious things he had planned for her.

"what do you want?" she asked through gritted teeth as she tried to think of a plan of action. Maybe she could signal phantom to come back, or perhaps the police?

"I'll let my associate go first." Said Vlad as he smiled wickedly as Aragon waltzed through the door. It all happened so fast one minute Aragon was coming through the door the next he shot her ring with accurate precision revealing her true face, the next Vlad injected some mysterious red liquid in her neck that causes her excruciating pain.

She let out hollers and moans of pain, and she was able to grit out "why….now?" as she looked hatefully at her brother. He took delight in his oh so cliché villain speech.

"You see, my dear sweet sister…" Aragon began as he teasingly caressed her writhing sweating pain-filled body. "… when our world was destroyed, so was my amulet, but soon discovered through my observations yours was not. So, I had to bide my time until you took the necklace off as you lured yourself into the very false sense of security that I would no longer come for you" Aragon continued arrogance radiating from his being as he gleefully watched his only sister writhe about in unimaginable pain.

Soon Vlad came with the antidote to what he had first injected her with, now weakened and truly defenseless Dora slumped over in her chair. Her now green skin slick with sweat, and her red pupiled eyes hung with defeat.

Aragon turned to Vlad in anger, "why… why did you stop it? After all these years, I was to finally be rid of the thing that ruined my life. I had everything before she killed mother in childbirth and father hung himself after, I found him. I had to bury both our parents because of this devil's spawn. For 25 years, I've roamed this limbo. If she's dead, then I can find peace." Said Aragon in a rage.

Vlad waved him off as if he were a mild nuisance. "she's of no use to me dead. I said I'd help you find her and give you the means to her defeat. There she is defeated I've honored our deal. Your peace or lack thereof means nothing to me. This ghost girl gets me one step closer to my endgame, and that is the only thing that matters." Said Vlad matter of factly. Aragon knew that he was powerless without his amulet and that Vlad had his henchmen right outside the door and fell to the floor in defeat.

Tears slipped from his eyes. "I hope you rot in hell you cursed child!" screamed Aragon as Vlad grabbed her broken body by the arms and began to drag her out of her building. Dora rummaged through every ounce of fight she had in her body.

Now she knew why her brother hated her. She briefly thought maybe he was right to. Maybe her brother was once a sweet boy, and the trauma of what happened to their parents left him with only hate and blame in his heart, both directed at her.

Her birth had ruined both of their lives, but still, she had lived in hell her whole life because of Aragon, so whatever pity she felt for him was null and void, she gritted her teeth and used the last of her strength to tell Aragon the last thing she hoped she ever had to say to him. "I'll see you there, brother." The girl said the faintest of a smirk graced her lips, and she took comfort in knowing that even though she had so lost, so had he.

Perhaps that was the fate of the two siblings, maybe they were more cursed than the amulets ever were. Perhaps both of them were monsters, and yet neither of them were. Perhaps both their hearts held darkness and pain, and they were two sides of the same fucked up coin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: well, that was Heart of a Dragon. I don't know how many of you predicted the ending. I hope it wasn't too predictable, and I hope I through you guys for a loop with everything at least a little. Most chapters won't be this long, so don't get used to this. It was just a lot to unpack with this chapter. I think it moved the plot along with Danny and Sam's relationship and Vlad's mysterious endgame goal.


	8. Larney Zhang

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: so here is the next chapter. I think you guys will really like this one. I just wanted to say I have all of this story planned; it's just a matter of finding the time to write it in-between all my priorities in my personal life. I'm getting to these chapters as quickly as I can.
> 
> Can you guys please review, I don't care if it's negative and positive I just want to know what people think.
> 
> Keep in mind this story takes place in 2004.
> 
> Without further ado
> 
> "the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
> 
> ~Edmund Burke
> 
> Chapter 8: Larney Zhang

Over looker's Pov

Flashback Vlad Co. 1989

Vlad Masters sat at his pristine mahogany desk, sipping his scotch and overlooking the city from his large window as he did most evenings before going home to make sure his son got to bed. He stood up from his desk and moved closer to the window, relishing that he had the tallest building in the city.

These were the quiet moments Vlad relished in. He was at peace. If only his father could see him now, he thought. He hoped the bastard was rotting in hell. Flashes of his childhood ran rapidly through his mind, sometimes Vlad would flinch still remembering his father's cruel hands. These hands that drove his mother to an early grave.

His father's hands that counted his money. His father's hands that ran his sister away. These hands that left him all alone. His father's hands that shaped and molded the man he became. His father's hands that drank scotch, the same way he did. His father's hands took what once was a sweet innocent little boy, who his father made a monster out of. His father's hands that were far too much like his own.

There were certain truths this world held, and there were certain sins you couldn't escape, the sins of the father perhaps being the hardest of all.

Still, if his father taught him anything, it was that the world is a cold and cruel and ruthless place, and if you want to survive, you can neither be sweet nor innocent. If you're going to take the world by storm, you must be just as ruthless as the world. If you want to be God, then sacrifices must be made.

A knock sounded at Vlad's door, and he briefly wondered who could be disturbing his musings. "come in", Vlad called, and he walked back over to his desk chair and took a seat. A young black kid, about 16 years old walked into the room. His name was Demaryius Banks.

"Mr. masters, can we talk for a moment?" said the kid. Vlad raised an eyebrow intrigued on what his low-level employee could possibly want. "sure, my boy, what is it?" Vlad said with the fakest smile he could muster. The truth was he could give less of a damn what the boy wanted.

He, like all of Vlad's employees were very expendable. "I appreciate you doing me a solid, getting my sentence reduced to time served and giving me a job here, but Mr. Masters, I can't do the things you're asking me to do." Said Demaryius. He was a good kid from Queens. He just got wrapped up with the wrong crowd and landed himself in juvenile hall.

Vlad had made it a habit of pulling strings and getting kids out of juvenile early and employing them to do his dirty deeds. But Demaryius just didn't have the stomach for it. But of course, if Vlad just let him go Scott free, he'd lose his power.

His employees needed to fear him. They needed to know that if they get out of line, they're dead. If he let this one kid go, people would think he was going soft. Vlad couldn't have that, not for anything. There was a bat next to his desk, and he grabbed it, gripping it tight.

"if you want out fine, but you have to pay the price. If you survive it, then I guess you're out." Vlad said, standing up slowly but with power. His face broke out into a creepy smile, which seemed even scarier in the darkened room. Vlad enjoyed things like this. He was a true sadist. He began to make his way toward the frightened 16-year-old who made no move to run because he knew he wouldn't get far, and even if he did, Vlad would find him.

He knew his only way out, his only way back to Larney was to take this beating and go home. He could take the beating and go home to her. He mentally prepared himself for the inevitable swing of the hard-wooden bat.

"Father, what are you doing?" came the voice of 10-year-old Joe Master's. He was confused and slightly frightened, never before had he seen his father act this way. Vlad dropped the bat and hit the floor with a resounding thud. His father's face darkened further. He simply said, "go," as Joe puffed his chest out and said, "no father, you won't hurt him. It isn't right." Said the young boy. Even though Joe was scared of his father for the first time in his life. He knew right from wrong, and he wouldn't stand idly by and let an innocent man be harmed.

Vlad scoffed and looked at Demaryius, who was extremely close to shitting his pants. "Mr. Banks go. You wanted your leave now take it while you can", Said Vlad, his eyes alight with malice. Without another word or even a second thought, Demaryius Banks ran out of there as fast as his legs to carry him, leaving young joe master's alone with his father.

"I'm going to teach you a lesson son, a lesson you won't soon forget. It never pays to be selfless." His father snarled as a terrified Joe Masters learned the true depravity of his father in the most horrid way possible.

New York Times Present Day (2004)

A 31-year-old Chinese American woman named Larney Zhang-Banks waltzed into the paper, demanding to see Sam Manson. As soon as word got to Danny and Sam, not a couple of minutes later found the trio in the conference room.

"so what do you have to tell us, Mrs. Zhang?" said Sam, concern lacing her voice. She could tell the woman had been startled by some unsettling news. She admired her bravery in coming to the press instead of hiding it away In her own head.

"it's Zhang-Banks, but please call me Larney." The woman said with a smile. She sipped at her tea she had been given, her eyes darted nervously around the room. She had a husband and two small children to think about after all she couldn't very well go and get herself killed.

"it's okay, Larney. I know you're nervous, but you can tell us." Sam coaxed. She knew this was big. If Larney clammed up now, the story was null and void she had to get it out of her. "alright, but you can't mention mine or my husband's name in any of this. We have small children at home, we own the ice cream shop over on Madison and 52nd, we're just your normal American family living the American dream. At least we were until three nights ago. What my husband told me, I can't keep to myself. How can I raise my children knowing there's such evil in the world and not doing a thing to stop it. I don't know what's wrong with me. A hero complex a bleeding heart take your pick, but I can't sleep unless I know this is off my chest…" the woman said, rambling on and on.

Danny and Sam were beginning to wonder if this woman actually had a story or if she just wanted to tell her life story. They got crackpots in there all the time claiming to have the story of the century, and more often than not, it was a steaming hot load of bullshit, but this seemed different. Whatever it was, she was so nervous to tell it had to be significant.

"Larney, we really have a busy day, and I understand you're worried about your family's safety, but we assure you we will handle this with digression, but please, if you have something for us, spill." Said Sam trying to sound as coaxing as possible, but it just wasn't her strong suit. She was called "Bulldog Manson" for a reason.

Every fiber in her being was itching for this story.

"my husband is a good man and a great father, but when we were kids, we were at the same foster home, for the time being, when we'd get separated we'd just run away to be together. One of the times, he was trying to find his way back to me, and he got mixed up with the wrong crowd. Long story short, he had to go to juvy. Vlad got him out and employed him, but what I didn't know until three nights ago what Vlad wants his employees to do, no not wants expects them to do. Any way Mar, that's what I call him, Mar, he refused…" Larney said, still rambling but now finally telling useful information.

"… the thing is Vlad wanted him to kidnap kids, the kind nobody would miss, kids like us. He wanted him to kidnap kids in the system and bring them to Vlad. He didn't really know what Vlad wanted with em, but it's not like he's daddy Warbucks or something. And that's not all Mar said he wasn't the only one. Vlad got other guys out of juvy and employed them. That way, when they reach adulthood, their records are expunged, and he looks like he had upstanding citizens working for him." Larney finished in what seemed like one breath. She was so nervous she couldn't stand it. Here she was a humble ice cream parlor owner going up against one of the world's most powerful men.

She was terrified. She briefly thought about the burden her husband had to carry all those years holding onto this secret. It pained her to think about it. It was Danny's turn to speak, "Did your husband say what he plans to do with these kids?" Danny asked, almost not wanted to know the answer.

"he said that he wasn't sure, but he knew they weren't killing them. He had heard tale of a secret floor where he'd keep them, his best guess was he had some sort of mad scientist experimenting on them. Who really knows for sure? Just do something with this information I'm risking everything for please." Larney finished, as she downed the rest of her now lukewarm tea.

"we will don't worry." Said Sam, a fire lit in her eyes. Her heart broke for those kids, and whoever or whatever else Vlad was experimenting on. The problem was Sam now had way more questions than answers. What was he doing with the kids? How many did he have? What was the purpose of all this? What was he trying to achieve?

She knew one person who knew, and she knew despite everything there was still good in him. Perhaps if she could get through to him, maybe if she'd tried instead of distancing herself from him… none of that mattered now. She knew exactly what she had to do.

As Larney gathered up her things, she made a silent apology that Danny forgives her for the lie she was about to tell, but she knew he would never approve of what she was about to do. She knew desperate times called for despite measures, and Vlad crossed a line when he went after kids.

As Larney walked out of the conference room and towards the elevator, Sam turned to Danny and welled up crocodile tears in her eyes. "I'm really sorry, Danny, but I need to take a personal day." She said to her partner, who looked at her with shock and confusion. "what but Sam, there's a big story here." Danny said he was concerned about his partner.

"no, you don't get it, there isn't I believe Larney but think about it, we can't print anything she said without proof. We're never going to get the proof, and Vlad is always one step ahead. I just I need a break. I'm sorry." Sam whined, really laying on the theatrics. Danny needed to believe that she was going to be curled up in her bed with Ben and Jerry's for the rest of the day.

Because she feared if he knew what she was really about to do. She feared she may never be forgiven.

About 30 minutes later found Sam parking in front of Joe and Paulina's condo. She hoped Paulina wasn't there because she doubted Joe would admit anything in front of her. She got inside the elevator that led to their door, and once at the said door, she knocked. She inwardly laughed at herself. She was as nervous as Larney was.

Soon Joe answered the door. He was shocked, to say the very least. "Sam, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Joe said, almost sarcastically. He wasn't expecting the company least of all his high school girlfriend, or one of them anyway. "We need to talk," said Sam as she all but pushed her way into his and Paulina's apartment.

"What are you doing here, Sam?" Joe said, dropping any and all formalities and settling for annoyance. He wondered where the hell she got off showing up at his home after all of these years. Sam had her own form of indignation, no better yet downright anger. If any of what Larney was saying was true.

That he had been manipulating kids into doing his father's dirty work and kidnapping and experimenting on other kids, she had a fury in her that was unparalleled. If there was one thing Sam wouldn't stand for, it was anyone hurting kids.

She had to know. She had dumped him all those years ago because she saw depravity in his eyes that reminded her far too much of his father, but never could she have imagined the true extent. In some ways, she blamed herself. Should she have stood by him, tried to help him? For a moment, she even felt bad for Paulina, despite the fact the two never got along, she knew Paulina was in the dark about her boyfriend's dealings.

She also knew the girl didn't deserve to be left in the dark about anything. This whole thing was just a big mess. This was the last place she wanted to be. She felt like an outlander in their home. She felt unwanted and unwelcome, she'd much rather be at the times, a place she knew so well, a place where people she cared about genuinely all but resided.

Still, she had to confront Joe about Larney's allegations. She had to get this out of him. "I'm only going to ask this once Joe, are you hurting kids?" the woman gritted out sternly. Shock washed over Joe's face as he stumbled into a bar stool at his kitchen island.

What was he to say? Sam always saw right through him. He knew that better than anyone. It was why he had fallen for her in the first place. Joe had chosen to go down a dark path long ago, and it really wasn't something he could go back on. He had rarely felt guilt for the things he'd done. In his mind, he had justified it by saying that it was his father's bidding and that his father would win anyway, so why not be on the winning side.

But lately, ever since Crystal had roughed Sam up, he had been questioning that decision. He had been so conflicted. I mean, even he didn't know what Vlad's endgame was, let alone who his mother was, though that was entirely different. He had done terrible things in his father's name, not that it had earned him a bout of trust when it came to his father's dealings. So why why did he do all these horrible things, and how the hell was he going to explain it to Sam.

He didn't think he could handle it if she looked at him as if he were a monster despite everything. Some part of him still loved her. Not in the way he once had, but she was his first love, and a piece of his heart would always belong to her. If she of all people saw him as a monster, how would he look at himself in the mirror?

He knew she was awaiting an answer, he had to give her one. Instead, he got up in silence and poured himself a glass of scotch far too much like his father for Sam's liking, but she ignored it. After taking several swigs, he said back down, eyes wild. There cast a look on his face that screamed of fear, but just as quickly as it came, it went Joe knew how he was going to slither his way out of this one. One of the many lessons his father "taught" him if you can't lie, there is nothing like a good old fashioned red herring.

Joe's eyes watered as he began to speak, and Sam paused, taken aback. Even way back when, when they were together, she had never seen this side of Joe.

"When I was a boy, my father he'd work all day and I'd see him at night he'd tuck me in and tell me a story. I could smell the scotch on his breath. One day I wanted to see where he worked, so I took the train down to Vlad co. When I got to his office, he held a bat and was about to beat a man to death. I like a fool stopped him. The guy ran, and after he left, my father took his fist and drilled the first of many lessons into me. That it never pays to be selfless. That day the little boy inside of me died. This is what is left, Sam. The monster that I try so hard to hide. I tell myself I do what I do because of him. Out of fear or out of loyalty that you can't escape the sins of the father, but the truth is. I don't know why I do terrible things. Maybe it's just because of how empty I am inside, because without being Joe Masters. The Joe Masters, who does whatever his father asks. I don't know who the hell I am." Joe finished as tears poured down his eyes. He downed the rest of his glass of scotch.

His hands were shaking, and he got up to pour another glass. Sam was shell shocked. She didn't know what she expected to find when she came here. She didn't know if she expected flat out denial or the runaround, but this. She never could have imagined.

She never could have imagined how deep the chaos ran in Joe's own mind. The pain he had been forced to endure for years. The trauma and the brainwashing did by his father. Even if Joe did do terrible things, as crazy as it sounded, she still believed in him.

She knew she had to say something. But what? She took the time to find the words. She approached the crying, shaking buzzed mess that was Joe.

"Joe listen to me. You don't have to be this. You don't have to feel empty. I've been there. Pushing people away, never letting anyone close, especially after we went wrong. I got drunk a lot. I pushed people away a lot. I was trying to fill a hole, I guess. A hole that my drunk mother and philandering father were too self-absorbed to fill. But one day I knew, I knew that I had two choices. I could wallow in my pain and become like my parents or fight for the life I want. I could fight for the life I know I deserve. You can too Joe. You can stop him. You can help me stop him. Children are being hurt the way we were hurt, Joe. We can fight for them." Sam said as she tried to grab the glass from Joe's hand. He yanked it back. He wasn't ready to stop drinking.

He damn sure wasn't ready for jail. He looked up at Sam, eyes wild, and said, "And what happens to me then?" Sam took a step back, seeing far too much of his father in him. A sudden chill ran down her spine. This side of him terrified her. "Joe, what are you saying?" Sam said, trying not to let her fear show. Joe's look darkened further.

"You're right Sam, I have guilt somewhere in this broken heart of mine, but I'm not going to jail. I'm not losing everything because of the sins of my father." Joe said his voice gruff and cold as ice.

Sam's heart broke for Joe, but simultaneously she was filled with rage. On the one hand Joe, never really had a chance, being raised by someone like Vlad, but on the other, he subjected innocent kids to unimaginable pain. Sam knew Joe was caught between a rock and a hard place and never more apparent than in the present moment was Joe's confliction.

Sam didn't know what to do. She wanted to get through to Joe, but she didn't know how. She had what she needed Joe's confirmation. He all but admitted the things that Larney's husband had accused the Masters of. But knowing something was true and proving it to be were two entirely different matters.

"I'm sorry, Joe," Sam said, taking Joe aback. Joe replied almost at a whisper as he drank some more of his scotch. "For what, Sam?" Sam smiled sadly and simply said. "I abandoned you when you needed me, I could have saved you from this." She said softly as she lifted her delicate hand to grace his cheek.

He leaned into the embrace. He memorized her fingers there. "Oh, Sam, no one could have saved me from this. I never really had a chance." He said no malice in his voice, but his tone was downcast. A few more tears slipped from his eyes. Sam even let a few stubborn tears from hers as the two ex-lovers and old friends relished at this moment between them. Sam's heart broke for Joe. This was the first time she really thought about it, but when she took Vlad down, Joe would go down by default.

Sometimes she hated her job. Joe's words rung in her ears. Somehow she knew they were true. Who was Joe supposed to become, being raised by a sadist like Vlad? Sam thought it best to take her leave. She had gotten what she came for though now she wished she hadn't.

Some part of her wished Joe lived in another world. She wished he lived in a world where Vlad wasn't his father, and he had a sweet, doting mother who raised him to be a sweet boy, and he and Paulina could live happily ever after.

That world didn't exist, Joe lived in a cruel world, and he had to play the hand he'd been dealt. But oh what a vile hand it was.

"Goodbye, Joe," Sam said as tears spewed from her eyes. She knew there was good in him, but she couldn't wait around to find it. Not while innocent kids were at stake. She loved Joe, some part of her always would, but he left her no choice. She had to take him down.

Though Joe Masters wasn't going down without a fight.

After a quick call to his father's informant at the times, Joe knew precisely who had visited Sam and her partner that morning. Of course, the name Larney Zhang meant nothing to Joe on the surface anyway. Upon delving further into her life and past, he deduced that she was married to one Demaryius Banks. The same man that he stopped his father from killing all those years ago.

He had done a good deed, and it came right back to not him in the ass. The pieces of the puzzle all came together in a clear picture. Demaryius had told his now-wife about his, and his father's dealings and Larney had gone straight to the press.

Of course, she didn't have proof, but if you shout something loud enough, someone is bound to hear you. The last thing Joe needed was for this to get into people's heads. It could lead to his and his father's undoing, and Joe learned long ago he had to protect himself at all costs.

So that's why he found himself riding in a limo to a humble ice cream shop to have a chat with the man who owed him his life.

Soon Joe found himself wandering into the shop. A young girl was working there, she couldn't have been more than 16. Joe walked up to the counter and said, "I'd like to speak to the owner, I'm an old friend of his." Joe said to the girl in a business-like manner. The girl simply nodded and went to the back to get her boss.

The ice cream parlor did good business, but this time of the evening, they were near closing, so it was the perfect time to have a conversation because it was doubtful any customers would be coming in.

When Demaryius walked out, he was extremely taken aback, to say the very least. Joe Masters was the absolute last person he expected to find in his mom and pop little ice cream shop. He knew it could only mean one thing: that Ice cream was the last thing on his mind.

The two just stared at each other for a bit, Demaryius was extremely nervous, and Joe was purposely intimidating. Finally, Demaryius decided to say something.

"Mr. Masters, what can I do for you?" Said the man with a smile trying to lighten the mood. It was at this that Joe finally spoke. "Well, for one, you can tell that pretty little wife of yours to stop talking to reporters," Joe said somewhat obliquely. Which, in many ways, was worse if he had been outright stern or intimating.

The ambiguity made it seem as if he couldn't tell if Joe was threatening his wife or making a friendly suggestion. Joe seemed eerily calm, which made Demaryius all the more nervous. Flashbacks ran through his head of that night all those years ago. The way his father had been so calm then the next, he had been facing the worst beating of his life.

But Joe had been his savior. How could it be possible that such a sweet innocent child could grow up to be capable of threatening someone's wife and mother?

Demaryius was terrified, to say the least. He instantly regretted saying anything to his wife. He should have known she couldn't keep it to herself as he had asked. She was a fighter born and bred, and he should have known she wouldn't take this lying down.

Now he had inadvertently brought the demons from his past right into his happy home. He had to do something, say something to fix this. Perhaps if he just denied it all?

"Look, Joe, I don't know anything about any reporters." The man said, shaking his voice almost a plea. Joe's eyes darkened. He didn't like nor have the time for games.

"Listen to me, Banks, I saved your life. I made sure you lived to see 15 glorious years. In which you were able to finish school, marry your high school sweetheart, and have her pop out, two beautiful children. It was I who allowed you to have all of this and let me assure you just in case you were sorely mistaken, you will lose everything before I do. If you don't tell your wife to shut that whole in her face, I swear to God I will… except I won't be so nice about it." Told Joe a madness in his eyes, both men knew he wouldn't hesitate to kill Larney Zhang.

A fire was lit under Demaryius, he didn't care who Joe Masters was. No one came to his place of business and threatened his wife. All traces of fear were gone from his mind. No one threatened his family. "Look here you smug son of a Bitch, if you even have a dream about laying a hand on my wife you won't have to worry about losing everything. I don't care how powerful you are, I will find a way to kill you." Finished Demaryius, a dangerous look in his eye.

Joe did the last thing the man before him expected. He threw his head back and laughed. He laughed maniacally. He thought it was genuinely hilarious that this man before him felt he had a shot in hell at protecting his wife.

After his laughter died down Joe looked Demaryius straight in the eye and said. "oh, please give me a break. You were a coward 15 years ago, and you're a coward now. Even if you had an ounce of fight in you. You wouldn't dare go against my father and I. We're the same you and I. We thrive on self-preservation you ran out and let me take your beating because it allowed you to live. You didn't go after my father and I because it allowed you to live. You'll do terrible things if it means you get to see another sunrise. It is called human nature, a survival instinct. You have it, and so do I, but there's another thing called the law of the jungle. Such a law means that billionaire philanthropists will always win over humble ice cream parlor owners." Joe said with a victorious smirk.

Demaryius ran through his head, for a rebuttal anything at all. However, he had nothing. Joe was right. He was a survivor; if he was backed up against the wall, he would find a way to survive no matter what he had to do. He wasn't a hero. He wasn't selfless. He wouldn't die for anyone. Still, when it came to Larney, he wished he was. He wished he had what it took to protect her and his kids from the evil in this world.

But alas people were who they were, Demaryius Banks was no hero, and his wife knew that. However, she was. She, too, was a fighter and somewhere in him. He knew she would be just fine.

"I may not be a hero, maybe I am the same coward I was 15 years ago, but my wife is resilient, and if she has it in her head to take you and your old man down, you better start praying because she will." Demaryius finished finding the words.

For 15 years, he'd lived in fear. He'd slept with one eye open and always looked over his shoulder, waiting for the day that the Masters would come for him. He didn't want to live that way anymore. He had found his fight, and he trusted his wife to be smart about things.

Joe realized his tactics were wrong. He didn't want to have to kill Larney. This was supposed to be a warning, but if Larney wouldn't back off, what was he to do? The guilt he hadn't felt in so long washed over him.

Perhaps he was still pulling himself together from the conversation he had with Sam earlier. He didn't know what was wrong with him. He could almost hear her voice in his head.

"I don't want to kill her, I just I … I don't know what I want." Joe said this time defeated. Everything he thought he knew was thrown out the window. He always told himself the things he did, he did them because his father asked him to. Yet here he was threatening a man's wife on his own accord.

For the first time, he truly realized how lost he was. He was so empty and he was trying to fill a hole just like Sam said. How had things gone so wrong? He didn't even recognize himself anymore. He realized he had been lying to himself.

He had been telling himself the easy thing to justify his terrible actions. Maybe some part of him wanted to make others suffer in the way he had. Then he realized he honestly didn't know what he wanted.

He had been playing this role for so long he had lost any semblance of that little boy all those years ago. While Demaryius had lived in cowardice, he had lost himself completely.

He needed to get out of there now. He felt as if he was suffocating. He needed to think. If he did something, he needed to be sure. He turned around and left the shop without another word.

Leaving a perplexed man behind in his own shop.

As Joe got back in his limo and road back to his and Paulina's home, he thought about sins. He thought about the sins committed against him and those he committed against others. He wondered how he could ever escape the monster he's become and if he could ever be rid of the burden his father placed upon him.

He knew his father wanted to be God, but right now, he didn't feel like God or even the son of a God. He felt like a man, a man who had never felt so small.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> a/n: so I hoped you all liked that chapter. I know it was a little different. Danny and Sam were hardly in it, but bear with me this chapter has a purpose, and it's essential to the plot. For all my Danny and Sam will they won't they fans, don't despair we will get back to that plot, but just go with the flow.

**Author's Note:**

> a/n: Yeah, so please let me know if you like it. I did my best. It was the first chapter I hope you enjoyed it. I accept any critics, I did my best grammar wise. If anyone would like to give me any pointers, feel free. I hope this was better. I want to know what you thought, please review.


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